
Class, FUZr 
Book M i A b% 



PRESENTED BT 



OLD TIMES 



ON 



Portland Pr&irie 



J85M880 



LARIMORE, N. D. 

Printed By H. V.Arnold 

J9JJ 






OLD TIMES 



ON 



PORTLAND PRAIRIE 



HOUSTON COUNTY, MINN. 



INCLUDING FAMILY RECORDS. 



1851—1880 




LARIMORE, N. D. 
Printed by H. V. Arnold 
1911 



rH8 A6S 



PRINTED FOR PORTLAND PRAIRIE RESIDENT^ 

AND 

DESCENDANTS OF ITS EARLY SETTLERS 



Publisher's Booklet No. 16. 



V^ 






PREFACE 

During the middle and later seventies a young man of the name 
of EdwardS. Kilbourne was publishing at New Albin a small paper 
called the "Spectator," for which the writer was occasionally a cor- 
respondent. This paper suspended publication about the beginning 
of the summer of 1879 an( * its proprietor went to the Red River 
Valley to look for a location. The country up in that part of 
Dakota Territory was only just beginning to develope, so returning 
home, in October, 1879, he founded the "Houston County Argus." 
Geo. B. Winship had for two years been running a local paper in 
Caledonia, but in June he had left with his outfit for Grand Forks, 
then a mere village, where he started the "Herald," at first as a 
weekly paper. In his last issue at Caledonia, Winship warned 
publishers against tryinp; th?re?ft^r to ut'iize his yacated field, as 
times then were in Houston County. This well- intended advice 
Kilbourne disregarded. 

Some two or three weeks prior to issuing the first number of the 
"Argus" we had an interview with Kilbourne, who outlined his 
proposeJ venture and requested something for the paper, anything 
suitable for a local publication. It chanced at that time that we had 
been considering the gathering of materials concerning settlement 
times at Portland Prairie, to be supplemented with our own later 
recollections, and have them published as a series of articles. Men- 
tioning this literary project to Kilbourne, he said at once that he 
would be glad to publish them. We now set about having talks 
with the old settlers, taking notes and dates. These were made the 
basis of some of the articles of which there were six in the whole 
series, each with some sub-head and number, but collectively bear- 
ing the title, "Early Days on Portland Prairie." We never saved 
the papers and do not know that any copies are now in existence. 
After Kilbourne sold out to move to Casselton v , N; D.; the office 



IV PE^FACE 

was burned and the early files of the paper were destroyed. We, 
have not had, therefore, those articles with which to form a basis 
for the present work. It happened, however, that in the early 
eighties a History of Houston County was published, and scraps 
from the articles in question as well as other of our writings in 
regard to the county in general, were appropriated and used in 
that work. 

Having the facilitits to do so, the printing of this work has for 
several years been contemplated. But it was thought to be useless 
to undertake the work until we could again visit Portland Prairie 
with this project in mind and have the cfeance to collect anew a 
tund of information, besides collecting family records. The op- 
portunity to do these things came last December. 

It should be further explained that with the exception of the 
book cover this work has not been printed or bound in any office. 
Nor has it been put in type from any previously prepared man- 
uscript. The contents of each chapter were arranged like an 
index page, a single line, it might be, indicating the substance of 
a whole paragraph, and wfcfc occasional looking s\ notes to verify 
facts, names and dates, the rest, excepting quoted accounts and 
family records, has been gotten up in type much on the same 
principle as where a person sits down and composes a letter by 
using a type-writer. The expression "the writer," is only used 
for convenience. 

Two sizes of type have commonly been used in this work, the 
smaller size for things of a special character. All works of loca\ 
history contain errors, and to expect a work of that kind to be 
faultless in this respect, would be expecting the impossible. 

Larimore, N. D., Sept. 30, 191 1. 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER I. 

Portland Prairie 1— ft 

CHAPTFR II. 

The Rhode Island Settlement 7—16 

CHAPTER III. 

Affairs in the Later Fifties 17—28 

CHAPTER IV. 

The War Period and Later Conditions 29—54 

CHAPTER V. 

Through the Middle and Later Sixties 55—72 

CHAPTER VI. 

Portland Prairie in the Seventies 73—100 

es and Family Records— Necrology 101—120 



OLD TIMES 

ON 

PORTLAND PRAIRIE 



C»A PTER I. 
PORTLAND PRAIRIE. 



THERE are two townships in the southern part of 
Houston County, Minnesota, both corresponding with 
the surveyor's or government townships and bordering 
on the Iowa state line, wl ich were among the first of 
the seventeen townships comprised in the county te re- 
ceive their first contingent of pioneer settlers. A few 
of these early settlers had begun to establish claims on 
the Iowa side of the state line in 1851, and likewise to 
select claims also on the other side of the line before 
these Minnesota Territory townships, called Winnebago 
and Wilmington, had been staked out by the government 
surveyors into sections and quarter sections. But this* 
narrative, composed along lines of local history, is not 
intended to deal with the settlement and earlier life of 
any township as a whole, but rather with matters of the 
same import relative to an agricultural community that 
is located partly in one and partly in the other of the- 
two townships mentioned and which also has a southerly 
extension across the state line into Iowa. At an early 
day this community came to be called Portland Prairie, 



2 OLD TTMES OS PORTL*NP PRAIRIE 

The general level erf the southern portion of Houston, 
County is about 1150 feet above the sea, by which wa 
mean the average altitude irf the rounded tops of the 
ridges between the creek valleys and their branching 
ravines and the rolling prairies about the heads of these 
ravines. Portland Prairie is rolling because each syncline 
is a drainage way that leads down into some ravine and 
although these hollows lead from the prairie in nearly 
all directions, drainage waters, as in times of rapidly 
melting snows or heavy summer showers, ultimately find 
their way to the Winnebago creek or the Oneota river 
(the Upper Iowa of maps) and thence to the Mississippi 
river, the valley of which is about thirteen miles eaet of 
the Winnebago and Wilmington town line. The river at 
the state line is 620 feet above sea-level, hence the de- 
scent from Portland Prairie to the river is over five hun- 
dred feet, rather gradual where you follow the valleys. 

The actual watershed of that section of the county it 
a ridge, more or less broad in places, with projecting 
spur-ridges, elevated 100 to 200 feet higher than the, 
adjacent prairies. This upland tract covers a consider- 
able area in Spring Grove and Wilmington townships 
and a projecting line of ridge, interrupted by a few wind 
gaps, trends northeasterly into the southern part of Cal- 
edonia township.' The rock structure of these ridges is 
a white sandstone but capped toward the top by a hard 
bluish limestone. The axis or watershed of Portland 
Prairie extends southeast from the point of the ridge in 
the eastern part of Wilmington township to Eitzen and 
beyond. The swells of the prairie may be broad in 
some of the sections, but usually tht fields do not extend 
level like far in anv direction without some slope, either 



IN5SCR1FTIVK OF PO-ktf.AND PEAIRIE $ 

gentle, or it may be, but slight. Portland Prairie is on 
the horizon of the base of the sandstone stratum that 
mainly forms tl>e upland ridges, but as you pass down 
the ravines to the creek valleys two other strata of sand- 
stone and two of limestone occur, one below the other 
in alternating layers. The soil of the prairie is a dark 
brown or black loam, of a kind called loe3s, which also 
mantles the tops of the upland ridges and those of the 
other ridges between the ravines. The prairie soil is 
from one to two feet in depth, or thereabout, and is apt 
to grade into a few feet of yellow clay and this iu turn 
into a mixture of clay and decayed limestone rubble, 
beneath which comes the limestone bedrock. 

The early settlers found the sun-shaded sides of th© 
ravines and tops of some of the bluffs or ridges between 
them, fairly well-stocked wit.h timber, largely of the 
full-grown kind, with groves of trees of smaller growths 
where the bluffs began merging into the swells of the 
open prairie. There were several varieties of oak in 
the heavy timber tracts, occasionally a hickory tree and 
a few other kinds, the white oak being the predominant 
tree. There was but little pine any where in the county, 
while the chestnut, so common in the eastern states, 
was not found in Minnesota. The sides of the bluffs 
that received the rays of the sun in winter, where high 
and steep, were apt to be bare of trees, though on the 
opposite sides of the raviiiHs, sciub-oaks, poplar, birch, 
etc., might occur, more or less thick. 

The border prairie groves contained oaks of different 
varieties and size, but largely consisted of poplar and wild 
cherry. These last two usually attained in those times 
only a thickness of three or four inches, when from some 



4 OLD TIMES OH PUKTLtSD PBAHtftE 

cause, they died out and fell. These groves also contained 
wild phim trees, some of which bore plums of about the 
size of small peaches, and the wild crab-apple sometimes 
grew about the borders of the groves. Patches of hazel 
brush usually extended long or short distances outward 
from the groves and iu these scrub-oaks and Ion* trees 
gained a foothold. 

The wild prairie grass grew a foot high or more. The 
botanist might then have found the prairie rose and 
quite a variety of flowering plants whose roots were not 
.killed by the prairie fires of the late fall or early spring 
that annually burned over parts of the country, some- 
times in one area, sometimes in another. The wild 
strawberry was not lacking, but the dandelion was not 
seen until after the seed had been introduced into the 
county during settlement days. 

The first comers into this section of Houston County 
did not occupy the open rolling prairie, but rather sought 
out locations about its south and southeast borders, 
where the land was partially timbered. Two or thre* 
considerations have usually influenced the locations of 
pioneer settlers in the northwest, to-wit, the shelter of 
timber, and nearness to water combined with good land. 
A log cabin once built, other conveniences might be left 
to be attained as soon as might be, while seme privi- 
leges commonly enjoyed in the communities from which 
they had emigrated, were to be indefinitely postponed or 
left to come as they would. 

The first settlers to locate in the neighborhood of 
Portland Prairie appear to have been Freeman Graven 
Everett Brothers, George Carver, John Edger, Mrs. Ja*. 



PORTLAND PRAIRIE— EARLIEST SETTLERS* 5 

Robinson with her pons and daughters, and besides these 
there were a few others who did not remain long in the 
country. Freeman Graves was a native of Vermont, 
born July 10, 1809. He moved to St. Lawrence County, 
N. Y., where he married Betsey Billings February 6, 
1833. He came to Wisconsin in 1846 and located in 
Columbia County, from which section of the state he 
came to the place of his settlement, Section 34, Winne- 
bago township, March 15, 1851. After the government 
survey of the state line in 1852 he found that the most 
of the land he had selected lay on the Iowa side of it. 
He spent the remainder of a long life on his farm and 
ten children were born to the family. 

James Robinson was a native of Antrim County, Ire- 
land, born in 1797 and died in 1841. We do not know 
in what year the family came to America, but in 1845 
Mrs. Robinson and family settled in Columbia County, 
\V*is. In 1851 the family located on what is still known 
as the Robinson place on the southern border of Port- 
land Prairie and on the Iowa side of the state line. 
Four sons in the family were named William, Henry, 
George and John. William only was old enough to make 
entry on the claim. The Fourth of July was observod 
by raising a log cabin, which in later years gave place 
to a commodious framed house. Another early settler 
was John Coil who located south of the Robinson place. 

John Edger and three other Irishmen located in Sec- 
tion 32, Wilmington township, in 1852, where Edger 
broke 23 acres, but he soon moved his location to the 
southeast corner of Section 36 where he built a log cabin 
about 14 by 16 feet. None of the party remained long 
in the township ere they sold their holdings and left, 



b OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

George Carver settled some distance to the south of 
where Eitzen now is, in 1852, and on the Iowa side of 
the state line. He was a native of the state of New 
York, born January 24, 1814. The sons of Col. Josiah 
Everett, as he was called, also settled on the Iowa side 
of the state line. The sons were named Josiah, Andrew, 
Franklin, Benaiah and Seth. Two daughters of the 
family were named Orra and Lucy. Some of the sons 
had settled first in Wisconsin, and came to what became 
known as the "Everett neighborhood" about 1853-4. 
All of the family were from about New Portland, Maine, 
a village about eighty miles north of the city of Port- 
land. Possibly the Everetts gave to Portland Prairie 
the name that has come down from settlement days. 

The first of the Norwegian settlers to locate in Wil- 
mington township came as early as 1853. It was about 
that time that the government survey of the county was 
made to establish the corners of sections and quarter- 
sections. A laud office soon afterwards was opened at 
Brownsville. Tbe earlier settlers had to get their mail 
at Lansing, Iowa, or bring it out for several families. 

In those years some small fragments of tbe Winne- 
bago tribe of Indians lingered along the Iowa riyer and 
Mississippi bottoms, and small groups of them occasion- 
ally appeared at the cabins of the settlers to beg food 
or old clothing or to barter game for what they needed. 
An old Indian trail from the Iowa to Root river followed 
the watershed of the prairie and passed around the point 
of the ridge in its course northwesterly, keeping as 
conveniently as possible to high ground. The first road 
struck out across the prairie essentially followed the 
course already marked by the old trail. 



CHAPTER II. 
THE RHODE ISLAND SETTLEMENT. 

THE most northwestern township of the little state 
of Rhode Island is called Eurrillville. Originally it 
was ten miles long from north to south and eight miles 
wide from east to west. In 1806 this large "town" was 
divided in halves on an east and west line, the southern 
half being set off to form the town of Glocester. Th€f; 
whole of northern Rhode Island is rough, rocky and 
quite generally timbered, though the existing timbered 
tracts are not the old time "woods of fifty or sixty years 
ago, but more recent growths instead. Although the 
highest of the great drumlin-shaped hills do not much 
exceed an elevation of 900 feet above sea-level, yet as 
viewed from some points the region has a mountainous 
aspect, at least in that sense on a small scale, the topog- 
raphy in some respects being more pronounced and quite 
different from that of Houston County. Streams of 
various sizes from brooks to small rivers intersect the 
region in question, their valleys usually having gradually 
sloping sides, according to the form of their bordering 
hills. In these valleys are located many small mill 
villages, Burrillville having several, the largest of which 
is called Pascoag. The mills have generally, since the 
development and use of the waterpowersof that section, 
been devoted to woolen manufacturing, though other 
industries were carried on even in the old days. The 
creation and growth of manufacturing villages, largely 
along in the second quarter of the last century, had » 



8 OLO TfMKS ON WItTL\SD PRAISIK 

tendency to develops mechanics, and the mills created 
a class called factory operati ves. The latter at first, 
were mainly of the native American stock, but were 
later reinforced by families of Irish, emigrants from 
Ireland. A hilly, wooded region like Burrillyille could 
not be much of a f arming country. Still, there were 
many small farms there in the old days, made in forest 
clearings and by removing cobble-stones from fields, and 
by cultivating the less stony lands of the broad stream 
valleys. Large substantial houses and barns had been 
built earlier than the manufacturing era, and the farms 
had their orchards of pear, peach and apple trees. The 
larger townships had each their "townhouse" in which 
the town meetings were held. Educationally, the bulk 
of the people were not advanced! ranch beyond what the 
common schools and the scant periodical literature of 
the middle of the last century, also occasional town 
libraries of a few hundred volumes, chanced to afford 
them, none of these facilities then being of a high order. 
Some towns, however, maintained academies, and it was 
common for well-to-do families to send away favored 
sons to some noted school or to a college. 

We have thus referred to northern Rhode Island in 
general, and the town of Burrillville in particular, be- 
cause it was from that region, including a neighboring 
portion of Massachusetts, that quite a contingent of 
the early settlers of Portland Prairie came, and those 
from Rhode Island being more numerous than those 
from any other single state, the prairie colony was re- 
ferred to by some in the early days as the "Rhode Island* 
Settlement." 



THK RHODK IHfcAKD hETTLBMBNT ft 

Minnesota Territory was organized as such in 1849,, 
As a territory, the Missouri river was made its western 
boundary. The gold fever emigration to California 
which began that year, took from the east and the mid- 
dle west the restless and adventuresome classes, which 
left the new territory to be quietly occupied by a sub- 
stantial class of home seekers. Steamboats had begun 
to run up to the settlement at St. Paul, the number of 
boats and their traffic increasing each year, and the. 
river ties of counties were rapidly occupied by settlers 
hi the early fifties and through that decade. Where 
favorable townsites were found adjacent to the main, 
channel of the river, market-towns sprang up. 

The first Rhode Island settlers to locate on Portland 
Prairie came in, the spring of 1864. These were Jamee 
M. and Duty S. Paine, Charles F. Albee and Jeremiah 
Shumway. They bought out John Edger and occupied 
his log cabin until they could establish themselves on 
places of their own. Edger next moved down on the 
Mississippi river bottom somewhere to the south of the 
state line. The four men named were still young and 
all married, but at first had left their wives in the east. 
The Paines were brothers and the other two had mar«j 
ried sisters of the Paine brothers. 

At the time they came out to the west, Minnesota 
was attracting attention in the easiern states as a favor- 
able section for emigrants. The south line of the ter-. 
ritory corresponded in latitude with the southern parts 
of Vermont and New Hampshire or about the same aa 
Portland, Maiue, hence the winter temperature might 
be expected to be somewhat colder than that of southern 
^ w England. In 1854 no railroad line from any point 



10 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIEIB 

oa Lake Michigan had readied the Mississippi river 
west or northwest of Chicago. The trip from the east 
was then somewhat harder to make than in these times,, 
and it took longer to accomplish it. Chicago could be. 
reached by railroad; thence a local railroad, but recently 
built took the traveler to liuckford, 111., from whence he 
proceeded by stage to Galena. Here a line of boats ran 
up to St. Paul, making landings at all the market towns„ 
on the v\*ay. Times were not at their best in Rhode 
Island and so the party referred to decided to follow the 
example of others and emigrate to the west. They left 
the boat at Lansing, Iowa, without any very definite 
idea where in southeastern Minnesota they would make 
choice of a location. Learning of a prairie tract some 
twenty miles to the northwest of Lnnsing, as yet scarce- 
ly occupied by settlers, some of the party went out to* 
view the land tli^re and reported that there would be no 
need of looking for any other location. 

James and. Duty (or Darius) Paine came, of a large 
family such as often grew up on the old farmsteads of 
New England and mainly furnished the recruits for an 
almost constant stream of western emigration. An, 
ancestor of the Paines, named James King came into 
the then partial wilderness of Burrillville in 1768 and 
built a large framed house on a road leading north to 
Douglass, Mass. The old house was still standing more 
than a hundred years afterwards, though a later house, 
itself already old, had long occupied the opposite side of 
the road, both about two miles north of Bascoag. Here 
the Paine family were brought up. D. S. Paine was 
born February 1, 1830 and married Sarah Maria Cook. 
J. M. Paine was born July 19, 18S5 and married as a. 



THE RHODE ISLAND f-ETTLEMENT 21 

first wife Ruth E A. Shumway, who was born August 
4, 1835. Charles P. A I bee was born on a farm in Bur- 
rillville, within two miles of Pascoag, February 1, 1822, 
Prior to coming west he had been engaged in carpenter- 
ing and building. He married Sarah Paine, April 22, 
1847; she was born August 8, 1825. The Shumway 
family came to Eurrillville from Oxford, Mass., and 
located on a farm adjacent to Pascoag. Jeremiah Shum- 
way was horn in Oxford. October 15, 1827. He married 
Mary Paine July 24, 1852. Mary Paine was born July 
28, 1832. 

During the year others came on from the east. Among 
these were Asa Sherman, David Salisbury and Silas C. 
Perry, who, having the means, boughfe up government 
lands not as yet entered by any one and held them a 
w.bile on speculation. After J. Shumway had been in 
the country a short time he went back to the east for his 
wife, and probably the wives of the Paine brothers came 
out at the same time. The Paines located, on lands in 
Section 3£, Wilmington, or on what is now the Schultze 
place. J. Shumway remained on the John Edger claim, 
having land on both sides of the state line. For the 
present C. F. Albee lived in the Edger cabin with the 
Shumway family and worked at building the few frame 
houses that were put up that vear, the lumber being 
teamed from Lansing. It is said that at one tinm the 
log cabin sheltered sixteen inmates which included 
small children and infants. Mrs. Sarah Albee, wife of 
C. F. Albee, came out to Minnesota in the summer of 
1854 with her two children that were born at the east. 
In her old age she wrote out her vivid recollections of 
those times, of which the following is a part: — 



12 OLD TIMES 09 PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

"Opening the door I saw Mary sick, lying on some straw in a 
corner. Our goods had not come; we had only what we brought 
in our trunks. The roof of the cabin was thatched with shakes 
and leaked; when it rained we used to raise an umbrella to keep 
off. all the water we could. It was quite a while before we got 
our boxes of goods. Now it rained so much that it made the 
Iowa river raise so that it could not be crossed with a team, and 
Lansing was our trading point. 

"The boys had got two cows and these had calves, so it took 
one cow's milk, with string beans about as large as your little 
finger and potatoes as large as marble;, with a little flour for our 
first meals. Monday night Mary was so sick that she was un- 
conscious; then, Charles really seemed to hare the cholera and 
was really very sick, and from eating such stuff I felt bad and I 
did not kuow but that they were liable to die. On Wednesday they 
were both better. 

"Up north about a mile. Duty and wife and James and wife 
and my father* had their log cabin, and were just as hard up for 
food. They were trytng to fix a better roof. Well, news came 
that a neighbor's wifef was so sick with the cholera that sue died 
on her way home from Lansing, and what could be done? One 
of our neighbors asked if Jerry could not make a coffin if he 
brought some beards. He said he would try, and so went to 
^ork. Charles would raise up on his elbow and tell Jerry how 
and what to do. My two brothers and Jerry with Mr. J. Coil 
went along to bury her. They had not been gone long before 
a regular tornado swept in upon us. The floor boards of the cabin 
were not nailed down and began to fly up, and the shakes flew 
Irom the roof. I expected that the logs would tumble next and no 
one but myself able to do anything. So I got my babies' wraps 
on and Charles dressed and got Mary and her baby to the door 
ready to go if the logs tumbled. I never can forget how Charles 

• Old Mr. Paine had come on from Rhode Island to star a whii* 
thatytar with his sons. 

t A Mn. Griffin who lived near Waterloo cree^. 



THB XHODK IShAlfl) BETTUtM'MIT 1$ 

looked, so much like a dead man with my white bed-spread over 
him. We had no bedding except what we brought in our trunks. 

"I looked up on the hill and what a sight ! My poor old 
father trying to keep up with the ox-team in which the women 
and babies were loaded. The roof of their house was entirely 
gone, trunks blown open and clothing scattered to the winds. 
James' wife had a silk wedding-dress which was found in a hasel 
patch, and my lather's black silk-velvet vest and neck handker- 
chief he never did find. This was Thursday and I had not been 
ia Minnesota Territory a week. 

"The men soon carae back and Jack Coil came riding up, say- 
iug that the cattle were in our cornfield, the fence having mostly 
blown down. Then they all took hold and fixed up the fence. 
Jack wanted me to take shelter at his house but I could not leav* 
my sick ones. The men went and Grandma Coil found out how 
we suffered. The next Tuesday we heard that the Iowa river 
could be crossed and they got Jack's team and brought flour and 
eatables from Lansing. We did not suffer for food any further. 
The crops were soon ripe and we had both wheat and corn. We 
bought an improved place. It had twenty acres in corn, four or 
five acres in wheat, the old log cabin, and a log yard to herd our 
stock in, and some hogs that run wild. When we saw them we 
could tell ours by their marks." 

It does not appear who Mrs. Albee came on from the 
east with, but a few others from Rhode Island were 
arriving about that time. The party got off the boat at 
Lansing about noon on a Saturday and were enabled to 
reach the prairie settlement by team by evening. The 
Iowa river was not bridged on the Lansing road at that 
time, but could easily be crossed by teams when the 
v/ater was low, at a ford. In bringing on household 
goods from the east it was customary to pack them in 
large boxes made of pine boards an inch thick. Both 
%he boxes or the pieces of boards when taken apart, even. 



14 0LI> TIMES OH PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

the nails, were useful about the cabins and small framed 
houses of the settlements. Probably many a temproary 
cupboard and like things were made from such mate- 
rials. Mrs. Albee states in her record that a box which, 
contained their winter clothing was lost on the way and 
was never recovered. Freight moved west comparative- 
ly slow in those tim^s and goods shipped as mentioned 
might be two or three weeks in reaching Minnesota. 

In fixing up the old cabin some suitable logs were cut 
and with a cross-cut saw short lengths were mad* and^ 
split and shaved into shingles so that the roof was now 
put in better order than before. J. IShumway also be- 
gan the erection of a framed house a few rods south- 
east of the log cabin. A pond hole was dug to retain 
rain water and the water used to wash clothes until the 
hogs then running loose, spoili it for any such use. A 
sort of sled made from the crotch of a small tree was 
then used to haul water in a barrel or two up from Duck 
creek with oxen. These were truly pioneer days when 
hardships and many inconveniences, not known to the late 
generation of the same community, had to be patiently 
borne until they could be overcome. The first preacher 
Mrs. Albee remembered as coming to that section waa 
a Campbellite who came about once a month for a while 
and preached to such assembly as could be gathered in 
those parts and in Mr. Coil's house. 

About that time other points were being occupied on 
Portland Prairie by Rhode Island people and others 
from that state came later. Asa Sherman is said to 
have built the first framed house in the community. It 
Etood about one-fourth mile east from the R. E. Shum- 
way house, was a fair sized dwelling a story and a half 



THK BHODS IHI.AW1) SETTLEMENT 15 

high and its gable ends stood toward the northwest and 
southeast. It had been oriented to face a road, which, 
before the farms were fenced on all sides, kept as much 
as convenient upou the axis of the prairie land without 
regard to section lines. As a community gradually 
developes, many changes in the location of the roads are 
apt to ensue. While the land remains unbroken and 
unfenced, passing teams wear temporary roads along 
what proves to be the easiest and most direct routes. 
Silas U. Perry built a log cabin near the foot of the 
xidge on what is now remembered as the Con. Metcaif 
Utlace now owned by Herman Schoh. The cabin stood 
on level ground about ten rods south of the house in the 
side hill that belongs to the farm. 

Some other settlers who came from Rhode Island in 
i«64 and 55 were Dr. Alex. Batchellor, John G. Cook, 
Tideman Aldrich, John McMelly, James K. True and 
probably Elisha Cook. The first Germans to settle in 
this part of Minnesota are said to have come in 1865 
and located in the neighborhood of where Eitzen is now. 
Dr. Batchellor appears to have owned at one time the 
quarter-section (s. e. £ 25) now comprising the McNelly 
and Winkelman places. He built and resided in for 
some years, the house on the Winkelman place. Such 
land as was cultivated on the quarter was rented by 
Tideman Aldrich who built a house where the McNelly 
residence now stands. Aldrich remained oil the prairie 
for several years but never brought his family out from 
the east. John G. Cook also lived for some years in a 
small house that stood about fifteen rods west of Aid- 
rich's location. Be was a cooper by trade and waa. 
cousin to Ehsha Cook. 



16 QLP TIMKS ON PORTLAND ?KAIRI» 

John McNelly was born in County, Down, Ireland* 
March 25, 1830. At the age of eighteen he came to> 
America and located first in Norwich, Conn., and at 
some later date moved to Burrillville, R. I. Here he* 
married February 1£, 1852 Nancy Shumway, a sister of 
JP. Shumway. He came to Portland Prairie with wife 
and two small children in 1855 and after living in the 
old log cabin with other occupants until he could build 
a dwelling, he located for the next ten years in Section 
36, Wilmington township. 

What is now the G. M. Watson quarter-section (n. e.. 
4 24) was one of those of which Asa Sherman got pos- 
session. He sold it May 19, 1855 to James K. True of 
Burrillville. Mr. True never improved nor built on it 
but in 1856 he sold i;t to Amos Arnold of the same town, 
and about a >ear later moved with his family from Pas- 
coag to Iowa, settling near Iowa City. Mr. True came 
to Rhode Island from the state of Maine. Of the Ger- 
man settlers mentioned, Henry Deters came first and 
gradually others afterwards. In the early days the 
land around Eitzen was owned mainly by American 
settlers, but as the years passed they sold out one by one, 
and German farmers bought their places. 

The earlier settlers did not find the country lackingin 
game. There were big fish in the Mississippi and trout 
and other kinds in the creeks. Of the bird kind, there 
were quail and prairie chickens and ducks and wild 
geese were birds of passage. Not to mention rabbits, 
always present, a few deer then abounded which C. F. 
Albee end others hunted with an old-time heavy rifle, 
tow in possession of Alfred Albee. 



CHAPTER III. 
AFFAIRS IN THE LATER FIFTIES. 

PORTLAND Prairie from the days of its settlement, 
has ever been a community of small or moderate 
sized farms. The swells of the original prairie land, 
with the hollows or troughs between, descending into a 
system of ramifying, steep-sided ravines or valleys, to- 
gether formed a kind of land sculpture that was not 
favorable for the development of farms of several hun- 
dred acres, nor are such estates desirable in any com- 
munity. Usually, even in the old days the larger farma 
did not much exceed a quarter-section (160 acres) and a 
few such might have an additional forty acres. The 
eighty was more common and forty acre places were not 
unknown, yet these were liable in the long run to be 
bought out and attached to larger farms on one side or 
another. Many of the settlers also secured wood-lots at 
a distance and on the timbered ridges. 

In the fifties settlers and land-speculators bought at 
low prices government land at the land offices. As we 
have seen, Sherman, Salisbury and Perry, having the 
means to make such purchases, got a number of the 
best quarter sections on the prairie, not, however, with 
the intention of holding them longer than they could be 
sold to others at a profit. In that way Charles F, 
Albee secured the northeast J Section 25, Wilmington, 
and then or later also bought a forty adjoining east in* 
Winnebago township. He built. a log house on the quar- 
ter and % log stable across ths rbad on the forty. 



18 : OLD TIMES ON Pt/UTLAND PfillBI* 

In the spring of 1866 four youngmen, all from Bur* 
rillville, R. I., came west and united with the prairie* 
settlement. These were Horace Arnold, John Albee v 
and Kufus-JL, and George T. 8numway, these last two 
being younger brothers of Jeremiah Shumway. Before 
coming west John Albee and R. K. Shumway kept a 
store at Laurel Ridge, a mill village close to Pascoag, 
and Horace Arnold had worked in a spindle manufac- 
tory in the same village, which was also the residenceof 
his father, Amos Arnold. The Shumway residence and 
farm also lay close to this village on the north. Horace 
Arnold was born in Cumberland, ii. I., April 8, 18S3. 
John Albee, who was brother to C. F. Albee, was a 
native of Burrillville, born February 14, 1827. Rufue 
E. Shumway was born in Oxford, Mass., June 1, 1833, 
and Georue T. Shumway was born October 30, 1840; he 
whs therefore a boy in age when he left Rhode Island 
with the others 

From time to time for several years others continued 
to arrive from the New England states. By this time 
(1866) it is to be presumed that all of the government 
land in that section of the county that would make even 
a good forty acie farm had gone into the hands of pur- 
chasers, and where not improved was being held on 
speculation for sale to new comers. Arnold Stone and 
'family came out to the west in 1856. He located first 
in Winnebago township, but later moved to a quarter^ 
eectibh in Wilmington, largely ridge land and next west 
of what was then Perr>'s farm. Mr. Stone was a native 
of Burrillville, born May 25, 1821 . He married Philind* 
Aldrich of the game town, November 13, 1844. Th£ 
TfcBjil} settled on the ridge farm in I860. 



AFPAlKS Iff THE ».ATRR FIFTIES* 1^ 

About 1856 a maff route was established between 
lirowusville, Minn., and Dorchester, Iowa. Intermed- 
iate postoffices on the route were provided at Crooked 
Creek, Winnebago Valley and Portland Prairie. The 
iME named station was kept at Asa Sherman's house, 
and was attended to by David Salisbury, deputy, Dr. 
Batchellor having been appointed postmaster. In those 
days there was not much to attend to for the mail only 
came once a week and when it reached the prairie the 
amount of papers, etc., was usually no more than would 
fill a quarter of an ordinary mail-sack and daily news- 
papers formed no part of the contents of the bag. 

About that time railroads from Chicago and Milwau- 
kee reached the Mississippi at three points, Dunleith 
opposite Dubuque, Prairie du Chien and La Crosse. 
The last named place was the nearest railroad terminus 
to Portland Prairie, but over thirty miles distant and on 
the other side of the Mississippi. During the boating 
season and for years afterwards, two lines of boats had 
the river freight and passenger traffic all to themselves 
and with no river lines of railroad to change things. 

In the early years of the prairie settlement flour and 
meal had to be teamed from Lansing. About the time 
now arrived at, a log grist-mill was luilt at Dorchester 
by Harney & Bell. Sometime later it gave place to a 
large framed building with facilities to grind out flour, 
corn-meal and feed, and became quite a resort for farm- 
ers to get their milling done. A stoie, blacksmith and 
wagon shop followed and a saw-mill was built on the 
creek above the village. Dorchester is some Ave miles 
from the center of the prairie. Some who had wood- 
lots not too far from the saw-mill, cut oak logs, hauled 



2<) OLft TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIB 

them to it and had them sawn into lumber. Charles Pv 
Albee refashioned over his log house with oak lumber 
sawn at this mill on Waterloo ereei|. 

William Jones was not a prairie settler for he lived 
on the broad ridge near Freeman Graves' place. H$ 
was a native of Franklin County, N. Y., born March 11,, 
1817. His wife's maiden name was Clara Billings, 
whom he married in 1844. In 1854 he moved with his 
family to Illinois, and two years later came to the location, 
where he became so well known to the prairie people. 
Spafford Williams, Joseph A. Melvin, I. C. Calkins, 
Samuel Evans and others were settled round about the 
vicinity of Eitzen, or where this country village was as 
yet to be, nut we lack information as to what years they 
severally located on their placets.. 

Cornelius Metcalf Jr., came to the prairie in 1857 
from Blackatone, Mass., a manufacturing town close to 
the northern line of Rhode Island. He was born in. 
Blackstone September 30, 1837, and was consequently 
twenty years of age the year he came on from the east, 
and had an academy education. A Kohlmeier family 
came from Chicago and settled on the prairie the same 
year. An adopted son was named Henry F. Kohlmeier. 
He was born in Hanover, Germany, March 1, 1842. 
About the time now reached Amos Lapham and James 
Emerson and his family also arrived in the country, the 
latter from Massachusetts. The first located on what is. 
now the L. L. Lapham farm and built a small framed 
house on the place close to the town line road, or a few 
rods northwest of the present brick residence. Amos 
Lapham was a native of Burrillville, R. I.; he had a 
wife, but no children. The Emerson family settled on, 



AijTAIES. IN THE l.ATEK FIFTIES 21 

an eighty acre tract in trie south part of Section 23, 
Wilmington township. 

At this period the cultivation of wheat, corn, oats and 
garden stuff had become quite general on such acreage 
of the farms as had been brought under the plow, but 
there was, as yet, little in the way of agricultural ma- 
chinery in the community such as became common some 
years later. No great amount of wheat could be raised, 
since it was sown by hand, dragged in by oxen, cut with 
cradles and pounded out with flails. Sam. Evans is said 
to have used the first reaper in the community in 1857, 
and a horse-power threshing machine was introduced 
about ihat time. Few or no attempts were made during 
that decade to set out fruit trees of any Kind as it was 
thought that they would become winter-killed. 

The financial panic of the full of 1857 was severely felt 
in Minnesota. For nearly a year there was little or no 
money in circulation on Portland Prairie and it became 
hard to get such things as people have to buy at stores. 
Some could not even write their letteis for some time, 
because they had not the means to buy the three-cent 
stamps then required to post them. Of those times 
Mrs. Albee wrote: "We were so hard up I did not know 
where to get the next bar of soap to wash my babies' 
aprons with." But gradually the effects of the great 
financial disturbance of the later fifties passed away. 

The aged parents of Jeremiah Shumway and brothers 
bad been for some time in the country aud lived at the 
Shumway place. Both died the year above mentioned, 
Noah Shumway in June, and Farmelia A., who was a 
second wife, in October. Born in 1770, Noah Shnmwaj 
might have heard guns fired in the Revolutionary war. 



32 Q\,U XJME$ QS PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

There were several more families who located on Port- 
land Prairie in 1858. Cprnelius Metcalf Sr., with others 
of his family arrived that year and located on Sherman *s 
place, which they afterwards bought. Mr. Metcalf was 
a native of Mendon, Mass , and was born in 1806, 
Leonard Albee, with a wife, sou and daughter, came on 
from Pascoag, R. I., the same year and bought the eighty 
next west of Dr. liatchellor's place of that time. Leon- 
ard Albee, who was cousin to Charles F. Albee, was 
bom ill Chester, Mass., November 4, 1810. His wife's 
maiden name was Eliza Buckman, whom he married in 
1833. She was a native of Woodstock, Conn., and was 
born in 1812. 

There came also in 1858 the Cass family who settled 
across the town line road in part east of C. F. Albee's 
quarter-section and on a place bought of David Salisbury. 
Tbey came west from Blackstone, Mass. The head of 
the family, William Cass, was a native of the town of 
Smithfield, U. 1„ and was born March 2, 1809. Mm. 
Cass' maiden name was Sarah W. Sturdy; she was born 
in Attleboro, Mass., May 4, 1819, and was married to 
William Cass March 27, 1839. Another family of that 
year, of whom we have no date records of the kindherq 
being used, was that of Hosea W. Pease who came from 
Maine, Sometime in the preceding decade he married 
Qrra, a daughter of Col. Everett, (see p. G) by whom be 
had at this time three daughters and one son. The 
family settled on an eighty in Winnebago township ad- 
joining the town line road next north of the Lapham 
farm. Mr. pease bought the tract of John Albee. 

In the changes being made in regard to parts of the 
roads, that going south from near \he present McNelly 



AVPAIKS IN THE t.ATER FIFTIES 2& 

place to Dorchester, was placed about twenty rods west 
of the township line so that it runs one mile through the 
east part of Section 86, Wilmington. This cut forty 
acres off James Pai tie's place which part he sold to 
kelson Smith of Burrillville, R. I. The remainder of 
the strip was owned by J. Shumwav, and belonged first 
to the Robinson farm. Before coming to the prairie 
Mr. Smith had lived for some time at Rockford, 111. 

Spring Grove township and the west part of Wilming- 
ton had largely been occupied by .Norwegian settlers, 
who came either from Wisconsin or direct from Norway. 
At the north end of the prairie and on either side of the 
town line were located the "five brothers," Fred, Peter, 
James, Eber and Iver Hanson. A well-to-do Norwegian 
farmer named Knut Anderson was also located at the 
foot of a wooded spur of thn main ridge in Section 14, 
Wilmington, now the Robelie place. Down in the Win- 
nebago Valley the settlers of that time were American, 
Scotch and Irish, or mainly so. 

Minnesota Territory became a state May 11, 1868. 
The first Wilmington town meeting is said to have been 
held at the Norwegian schoolhouse in Section 28 on the 
same day of the month, but it was a tradition that the 
people of Portland Prairie did not for some time become 
aware from receiving weekly newspapers, that the terri- 
tory had actually become a state of the Union. This 
same year a school house was built on the prairie. It 
stood for the next ten years close east of the site now 
occupied by the present one in the McNelly district. 
At this time Charles and John Albee, J. Shumway and 
one or both of the Paine brothers, occasionally engaged 
in carpentering work. 



24 OLD 7IMES ON PORTLAND PRAIR16 

In 1869 Davit! P, Temple came and took up his, 
residence on Portland Prairie. He was a native of 
Connecticut but came west from Framingham, Mass. 
About this time Silas C. Terry sold out and removed to 
Iowa. A man named Benjamin liobbins next had the 
place to? several years. 

Levi L. Lapham was born in Burrillville, R. I., April 
11,1829. He married Sarah Cargill of Dudley, Mass,, 
January 13, 1857. She was born May 28, 1834. In 
1854 Mr. Lapham went to Chicago, residing there several 
years. He then moved to I'edar Rapids, Iowa, and in 
1860 he teamed it with oxen^to Portland Prairie and 
went on to the place ever since occupied by him. His 
brother Amos, wl o was six years the elder, next bought 
u place to the west of L. Albee's location where he 
he resided until 1874. A while before Mr. Lapham 's 
arrival at the prairie, a man named Isaac Gault came to 
the community, and was much on this farm, off and on, 
taking care of things, during the next dozen years. He 
was born in Oakham, Mass., October 19, 1826, and was 
an acquaintance of Lapham before coming on from 
Michigan, having gotten that far west. 

Asa Sherman built a new house in 1860 on the east 
eighty of the quarter- section he was on and facing south 
on the section line road. That was a great political 
year for the country at large, but the prairie community, 
still in a slow stage of development, and isolated from 
large towns, railroads and traveled routes, was influenc- 
ed mainly by what the weekly mail brought to it. There 
were no daily papers seen, but in those days many ex- 
cellent weeklies were published in the cities for country 
circulation and they were apt to contain a fair assortment 



AFFAIR?,, IN THE V I«AT|CR FJFT1ES 25.^ 

of domestic and foreign news, editorials, discussions,, 
speeches, legislative ana miscellaneous matter. True, 
the country's news might be a week or ten days old and 
foreign intelligence twenty days to a month old when it 
finally reached its readers (there were then no ocean 
cables in use) but all of that was taken as a matter of 
course. There were also political discussions among the, 
neighbors based upon information brought by the papers. 

During those years the income gotten from the farms, 
was rather limited and household economy had to be, 
almost always kept in mind. The people lived according 
to their means. Some tilings in the line of dress and 
groceries, more or less common in their former eastern 
homes, they had to dispense with until they could feel 
that they were in better circumstances. Pondholes 
were dug to water the limited amount of stock kept; for 
household use large cisterns were dug into the under- 
lying clay bed, cemented and,; covered, including a curb, 
over the center. These stored the rain water from the, 
shingled roofs; drawn up cold it had a slight smokey 
taste, but one easilv got used to it. Where springy 
places could be found, surface wells six or seven feet, 
deep could bs dug from which water could be drawn in, 
barrels. 

In fencing along the roads, on division lines of prop- 
ety, or enclosing fields, the zigzag fence four rails high 
was generally used, the ends of the bottom rails resting 
in crotches projecting about two feet above ground and 
tl?e tpij ones in the accompanying cross stakes. The 
rails were usually got out in winter and entailed the 
sacrifice of a large amount of the full-grown timber then, 
covering the tops and the slopes of many of the bluffs. 



26' OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND KRAWIIB 

Pn ledgy and wooded sections of the country the rat- 
tlesnake has usually been found until exterminated or 
rendered scarce by the first generaiion of settlers. They 
were not wholly a new sort of the snake kind to the 
settlers who came from Burrillville, since a few still 
lingered on a low, rocky and forest covered mountain^ 
called Buck Hill, in the northwestern corner of Rhode 
Island. In the fifties and early sixties there were many 
rattlesnakes found down the ravines and where the 
prairie farms bordered these valleys so as to have brusb>. 
and trees on parts of them, they were often discovered, 
in summer on these lands and in some instances in the 
very dooryards of houses. To lessen the number of 
these unwelcome visitants, parties armed with stout 
sUffs or long clubs used to go down the ravines and 
search the sides of the bluffs in the vicinity of tfceir 
known breeding-dens. 

Before closing this chapter we should speak of what 
was being done during those years in a church way for 
the spiritual welfare of the people. The first preachers 
who came to the prairie community were itinerants who 
traveled about the new and thinly settled parts of the 
country and preached in houses and school buildings 
where any of the latter then existed. One of these was 
a young Methodist exhorter named Bansom Scott who 
unfortunately lost his life in a blowing snow storm, on 
December 9, 1856. He lived with a Mr. Young, an 
ancle, on the north ridge, Winnebago. Leaving the 
prairie to return home, about eight miles distant, and 
against the advice of friends, it would appear that he> 
got bewildered, lost his way and perished in the stora*. 



AFFAIRS IN THK kATER FIFTIES 25T 

At first bo apprehension whs felt over his absence on 
account of his vocation, but as time passed and he did 
not return, inquiries and search began to be made, It 
was not until next May that any trace of him was found. 
His body had been almost entirely devoured by wolves. 
Besides remnants of clothing, his bible, hymn book,, 
Unife and wallet were found near by in the ravine in 
which he had perished. He was 26 years of age and 
came to the west from the state of New York. 

A Minnesota Conference of the Methodist Church 
was formed in 1855, its annual meetings being held in 
the spring for several years. .Thereafter circuits and, 
charges or stations began to increase as Uie settlements 
extended. A small village had been growing up at 
Caledonia, the county seat, which gave a name to a 
circuit of the denomination mentioned. At first the 
Caledonia Circuit included as outlying stations, Hokah 
and Brownsville, to which was added Popes Prairie, 
Portland Prairie, and Winnebago Valley. Hokah and 
Brownsville having iater been dropped from the circuit, 
meetings were held at one time at Hacketts Ridge. A 
church was soon erected at Caledonia. The following 
named ministers were assigned by the Minnesota Con- 
ference to the Caledonia Circuit during those years; 

Rev. John Hooper, conference year 1855-6. 

Rev. J. L. Dyer, conference years 1856-7 and 1857-8. 

Rev. E. Haight, conference year 1858 9. 

Rev. J. Cowden, short conference year, spring to fall, «8$9> 

Rev. Ellingwood, conference year 1859-60, 

Rev. V endell, conference year 1860-61. 

AV of the charges mentioned did not, of course, re- 
main attached to the circuit at any given time; even as 



28 OL» TIMES ON PORTL.VND PRAIRIR 

matters then stood It was impossible to hold services a^ 
all of the stations at any given time on the circuit, on 
the same Sabbaths, and so the custom of visiting the 
different communities each alternate Sunday prevailed* 
and possibly with some, less often than that. Some of 
these clergymen were young in the ministry, and otheTft 
more advanced in age, one or two being of the old-fash- 
ioned type then in some measure characteristic of west- 
ern Methodist preachers outside of the cities. 

The first of these clergymen held meetings in houses at 
the prairie, but in 1858 a school house having been built, 
it was next used for the services. About 1865 an agent 
of the Sunday School Union visited the community and 
organized a Sunday School, its sessions also being held 
In houses as previously appointed, and during the mod- 
erate and warm months of the year. The attendance of: 
young people was considerable and from both sides of 
the state line. In those years before any school house 
had been built, a quarterly -meeting of the circuit was 
held at the prairie. The house of J. Shumway, in the 
southeastern corner of the township, was often the 
scene of these various religious gatherings. 

Occasionally a marriage interested the community. 
Henry F. Kohlmeier was married to Katherina Burmes- 
ter, March 13, 1859. R. E. Shumway married Hannah, 
daughter of Cornelius Metcalf Sr., March 4, 1860. She 
was born April 25, 1834. Another wedding of the same 
year was that of Cornelius Metcalf Jr., who married 
May 29, 1860 Elizabeth M., daughter of Leonard Albee. 
{She was horn April 3, 1841. 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE WAR PERIOD AtyD LATER CONDITIO^. 

DURING the continuance of the Civil war the prai,^ 
ne people were influenced thereby merely in the, 
way that great events, transpiring far away, would bai 
apt to affect any country community. But the war, 
lasting over four years, profoundly affected the whole 
nation and there was scarcely a community so isolated 
or remote that in some measure did not feel the changed 
spirit of the times. At the prairie those influences 
were largely such as resulted from war news in the 
weekly papers, neighborhood discussions, enlistments, 
and later on, compelling of others to become soldiers by 
conscription, the rise of prices that the war engendered, 
aud other factors. There was no telegraph station 
nearer to the prairie than La Crosse, yet news of battles 
and naval engagements, minus details, sometimes reach- 
ed the community several days in advance of the mail 
which brought St. Paul, Chicago and other papers. 
Some traveler or business man, leaving La Crosse, would, 
come to Caledonia by way of Brownsville, bringing the 
latest war news and likely also some copy of a city daily 
in his coat pocket; again, important news was dropped off 
the packet boats at Lansing and would reach the prairie, 
from that point. 

The early part of the war period infused some sort of 
military spirit into a uuznber of the men, so far as to 
assemble on horseback and practise cavalry tactics on 
the roads; at times, too, the grown boys met with guns. 



80 OLU TIMES OJf PORTLAND PKA1BIV 

to imitate skirmishing and other sorts of practise. Along 
in 1861, '62 and later there were a number of enlistment^ 
of young men from the prairie and vicinity; some of 
these seryed in Iowa regiments, but mostly they belong- 
ed to Minnesota regiments. 

As was stated at page 16 Amos Arnold bought of an 
early possessor the northeast £ Section 24. The pur- 
chase was made on recommendation by letter of his son, 
Horace Arnold, already in the country, and included 
forty acres of woodland on the Winnebago creek bluffs 
\n Section 17. In 1856 Amos Arnold moved his family 
from Burrillville to Daniel son vile, a cotton- factory town 
in the eastern part of Connecticut. In the spring of 
1H61, Ellery C. Arnold, wife aud two small children, 
emigrated from this place to the west, and arrived at 
Lansing just at the time the country was rocking under 
the excitement of the Confederate bombardment of 
Foit Suinter, the news of wbjch speedily traveled to all 
points then reached by telegraph and the river steam- 
boat lines. Iteaching the prairie, E. C. Arnold went on„ 
to the Tideman Aldrich place. In the summer, Amoa 
Arnold came out to see his land and build a house on it. 
The house, as then built, was a story and a half high, 
and measured 16 by 24 feet. In November Mr. Arnold, 
went back to Connecticut, accompanied by Albert Marcy 
who was living on an eighty next south of Benj. Rob- 
bins' farm. Henry Robinson had been living with his 
brother William, but owned sixty acres in Section 36. 
He built a house on this land and occupied it that year. 

In 1862 Dr. Batchellor moved to New Jersey for a 
year or two so as to enjoy a milder winter climate. His 
quarter-Lection had become somewhat divided. The, 



TUB WAR PKRIOI) AND I.ATKB CONDITIONS 31 

forty acres next to the townliue road was in possession 
of Tideman Aldrich and K. C, Arnold occupied the 
place; the next forty acres was owned by John G. Cook, 
and a son-in-law named Amos Glanville lived with him; 
the west eighty, now the J. Winkelman place, on which 
Dr. Batcbellor and family lived, he sold to a man named 
McDan. This purchaser did not retain the place longer 
than the next year ere he sold it to Wm. Walker Everett 
and moved to Iowa. 

William R. Ballou, from Burrillville, R. I., lived at 
the prairie at this time and owned the forty in Section 
24 which has the road to Caledonia on its east and north 
sides. At one time after passing the east end of the 
ridge the road struck northwest across this forty, passing 
just north of a tree-covered sandstone hill, a mound-like 
outlier of part of the ridge close south of it. At the 
foot of the mound on its east side Mr. Ballou dug a 
cellar for a small house, and walled it with stone taken 
from the mound, but no house was ever built there. 
Several years later the stone was carted away to furnish 
a foundation to the Wright district school house, when 
that was built. The depression of the cellar, dug nearly 
fifty years ago, is surrounded by brush and trees, but 
has not filled up much since its walls were removed. 

The Sioux Indian massacre of August, 1862, though 
mainly confined to western Minnesota, spread a feeling 
of insecurity and alarm east to the Mississippi, and 
largely owing to the absence of so many men from the 
state serving in the Union armies and the weakness of 
the garrisons at the few military posts on the frontier. 
Th re were but few lines of telegraph then in the state, 
*iencb false or exaggerated reports, due to excitement, 



#2 OW TIMES OS ft)fctLAND P&AlfcI$ 

were ail the more apt to be far carried and remain tM 
longer uncontradicted. There were no Indian hostilities 
nearer to the center of Houston County than perhaps 
150 miles; yet many families in the southeastern part of 
the state turned their stock loose in the fields and taking 
to their teams, started for the river towns. Most of 
them turned back after the temporary panic bad sob- 
sided. Some would-be refugees from the country west 
of Portland Prairie reported that the Indians were at 
Spring Grove, and several families gathered and started 
for Lansing; but having been halted at the Albee place, 
it was thought best to ascertain whether or no they were 
about to fly from an imaginary danger. So C. P. Albee 
*nd Asa Sherman rode horseback to Spring Grove and 
learning that there was no cause for alarm, they came 
buck, and then the intended refugees returned to their 
homes. Thereafter the people followed the details of 
this Indian war in the papers until the hostiles were 
driven beyond the Missouri river. 

Two families, originally from Burrillville, R. I., came 
to the prairie that fall from the west, leaving on account 
of Indian troubles. The heads of these families were 
iflarcius Eddy and Edin Ballou. A daughter of JCdiu 
Ballou had been the wife of Asa Sherman, but she had 
died early in July of ihat year. Harley P. Kelly, wife, 
and two children, also came in 1862 and for the time 
being, occupied the house that Amos Arnold had built. 
This place was in process of being broken and fenced 
at that time by Horace Arnold. The Kelly family came 
west from Blackstone, Mass. 

Next south of the Arnold place lay a quarter-section 1 
ov* »e<J by Charles F. Wright, a store-k*«per of Black- 



TMK WAK PKKIOM AND l.ATEB CONDITIOH8 8» 

stone, Mass. The drainage of this quarter-section is 
eastward by way of the Pease and Tippery ravines and 
southwest into the Duck creek ravine. The north part 
of the quarter once contained considerable timber and 
patches of hazel brush between groves, both also over- 
lapping upon the south part of the Arnold quarter. 
The largest body of this timber covered several acres 
about the northeast corner where the slope is toward 
the head of the Pease ravine. Toward the northwest 
corner there is a low sandy knoll, the west slope then 
being covered with patches of hazel brush, and the east 
slope, rather gentle to the road, had several large red 
oaks and a growth of smaller trees adjoining, all ex- 
tensive enough to be called a grove. Sometime in the 
fifties a log cabin was built on the place, amidst the red 
oaks. At the time Mr. Wright bought the place it was 
owned by a man named Esten. Probably the quarter 
iu the first instance, was one of those entered by David 
Salisbury or Asa Sherman. 

Charles F. Wright was born in Vernon, Vermont, 
October 7, 1831. He was educated in Providence, R. L, 
and married Mary, daughter of Cornelius Metcalf of 
Blaekstone, October 7, 1856. She .was born in Mendon, 
Mass., June 13, 1832. Mr. Wright was engaged in the 
mercantile business in Blackstoiie from 1849 to 1858. 
In 1863 he moved with his family, then including two 
children, to Portland Prairie, and occupied the cabin 
mentioned as already being on the place. 

Asa Sherman had been on to Khode Island that year 
and in returning with Mr. Wright the boat came up the 
river in the night. He was missed from the boat when 
It reached Lansing and was never seen or heard of after- 



H Ofcl* TIMKH OH PORTLAND PRAIRI3 

wards, the genera) supposition being this, that he had 
gone down to the lower deck, fallen asleep near the bov>\ 
which swayed slightly lrorn the motion of engines and 
paddle-wheels, and falling overboard had been drowned. 
Mr. Wright had been back and forth between the prafc 
rie and the east more than once, so that the occasion on 
which he brought his family out was probably not the 
same as when Sherman disappeared. In later years one 
could hear rumors that Sherman had been seen in the 
army, and in Colorado, but such reports are almost sure 
to become circulated about persons who have mysterious- 
ly disappeared and their remains never found. The 
Metcalf farm of those years on the Winnebago side of 
the townliue road had earlier belonged to Sherman; hi*, 
home place was bought of his heirs by Christian Flessa* 
and a farm on the south side of the road was bought by 
Fred Rune. 

Two houses were built not far north of the prairie 
ridge in 1863. Edin lisHou, who had two grown-up sons, 
and a daughter, went on to what is now the Herbert 
Lapham place and put up a small framed house near the 
southeast corner of the eighty. II. P. Kelly took land 
half a mile farther west that had once been one of the 
Perry claims, and built a house of small hewn logs near 
the end of a projecting spur of the ridge. Kelly's land 
extended back to the top of the main ridge; along the 
northern slope of the ridge at that point and extending 
west, there was then and still remains a considerable 
tract of timber, which came to be called Kelly's woods, 
and in which he cut the logs to build bis house. After 
this family vacated the A. Arnold house at the end of 
the ridge, it was occupied by E. C. Arnold. 



THft WAK PK*lOI> AND IATKB CONDITIONS CD 

During part of the war period the postoffice was k»pt 
at the old log cabin on J. Shumway's place. After Dr. 
Batchellor moved to New Jersey, or before, John G. Cook 
had the office at his house for some time and then in 
1863 It. E. Shuniway having been appointed postmaster,, 
it was moved down to the cabin where he then lived. 

At this point we will again refer to the ministers who 
were annually assigned to the Caledonia Circuit by tho 
Minnesota Conference of the M. E. Church and who 
also preached at the prairie, holding services in the 
school house of that time. ltev. Nahum Taintor, a mid- 
dle aged clergyman, came in the fall of 1861 and being 
»gam returned the next fall, he remained two years on 
Ihe circuit. In the fall of 1863 he was succeeded by an 
elderly clergyman of the name of White who was annual- 
ly returned twice afterwards, and consequently remained 
three years at Caledonia, which was then the longest 
limit that a Methodist minister could stay on a circuit, 
Usually they were changed every year or two. 

At the prairie a Sunday School met at theschoolhouse 
at least during the warm months of the year. They had 
some pretense of a library, kept in a flat box set upright, 
about three feet high, two-and-a-half feet wide and eight 
inches deep, opening in front. Some carpenter made it 
of planed pine boards, and of course fixed shelves inside. 
Most of the books were small ones and on the whole, of 
a sort that the young people now would not care for* 
It is probable that in those days when eastern Sunday 
Schools changed their libraries, the least worn and the 
unread books were separated out, and turned over to 
some agency to supply needy country communities in 
the west. 



36 O&P TIMES ON PORTLAND PRALRIE 

About this time Nelson Smith sold out to a German 
named August Guhl and moved as others had done into 
Iowa. It was said of Guhl that when he came to this 
country, a dollar in gold money was worth two in green* 
backs; that having brought over a thousand dollars in 
gold money he exchanged it for $2,000 in American 
paper currency, and using a thousand dollars of the 
latter he bought the Smith place which had a fair sized 
framed house on it. 

It was about the point of time arrived at that three 
young men named Elijah, John and Abram Sinclair left 
Wisconsin and located on Portland Prairie. Their fam- 
ily name was really Vreeland, but they assumed that of 
their mother, who was a Sinclair before marriage. It 
was later thought that the draft or fear of it had somer 
thing to do with their leaving Wisconsin and changing 
their family name. Another brother named James 
Vreeland appears to have come earlier; he was a married 
man and was located on what is now the W. E. McNelly 
place in Section 26. A fifth brother, named Enoch 
Vreeland, came after the war was over, remained a year 
or two in the community and then moved to Missouri, 
where some time later he died. 

In 1864 Dr. Batchellor was back from New Jersey and 
went on the place that he had sold to Tideman Aldrich, 
Either the latter had never fully paid for it or it may 
have beee bought back again. The doctor and family 
were quite an addition to the prairie socially. At this 
time David P. Temple built a house on the north eighty 
of the Win. Cass place, which he had bought. Temple 
and Marcius Eddy and family occupied the house ana; 
the place was carried on by the latter^ 



THE WAB PEKXOD AND I^ATfift CONDITIONS 37 

In June, 1864, Amos Arnold moved with part of his 
family from Dauielsonville, Conn., to the prairie. The 
Mississippi was reached by railroad at Prairie du Chien 
where the packet u ltasca" lay waiting at six o'clock in 
the evening for its throng of up-river passengers. The 
boat, however, did not leave until after midnight, and 
reached Lansing about eight o'clock the next morning. 
Knut Anderson was in town and took the family out to 
the prairie, a hard journey in a common farm-wagon. 
Xn July a house was built for E. C. Arnold and family, 
located on the east side of the farm and above the shal- 
low ravine that centrally intersects this quarter-section. 
C. F. Albee, L. L. Lapham and one or both of the Paine 
brothers were the local carpenters who put up the house, 
but, of course, only engaged in such employment when 
any chance job called for their services. 

The observance of the Fourth of July in the community 
took the form of picnics in some shady grove, the women 
having previously provided the cakes, pies, roast chick- 
en, coffee, etc., for the whole assemblage, who sat down 
at a long table fixed of loose boards. In 1864 the picnic 
was held in a grove of oaks on Duty Paine's place and 
just above the Duck creek ravine. Duck creek, so 
called, now perhaps dry, was a small streamlet issuing 
from springs within the last mile of the ravine, which 
opens into the valley of Waterloo cretk above Dorches- 
ter. 

The latter part of that summer was dry and then and 
all that fall some people had to haul water for household 
use from the springs then existing well on down the 
ravines. Water barrels were placed in a farm wagon 
and while one dipped up the water, using two pails al* 



88 OtD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIKHI 

ternately, an assistant standing in the wagon, emptied 
them into the barrels. Sacking had to be tied oyer the 
tops of open barrels to keep much of the water from 
slopping out while driving home. A fine spring of that 
time called "Tippery spring"' was located about three , 
miles down the ravine of that name, on the south si^e, 
and flowed from the base of a sandstone ledge, which, . 
as there cropping out of the side of the bluff, was about 
twelve feet high. The flow was enough to have filled" a^ 
pipe four or five inches in diameter and formed the 
head of a fair sized brook that run through some mead- 
ows about two miles to the Winnebago creek. The road- 
from the prairie then followed the bed of the ravine to 
the head of the meadow fields and then took to the foot, 
of the bluffs on the north side, as in present times. The. 
road passed near the spring and across it stood the; 
rtbiise of the Tippery famUy in part built of hewn logs* 
They had a lime-kiln at the foot of the bluff northwest 
from the house. The iainily came from Pennsvlvania. 
about 1853, locating first near where the upper mill now 
stands, and later moved up to the spring. 

During the same fall Benj. Bobbins sold his quarter- 
section to Joel S. Yeaton, and moved away. Mr. Yeatoi* 
was from about New Portland, Maine, from whence 
Several other families on the prairie had came earlier. 
His family did not come until November. 

That fall a draft took many of the men with families 
at the prairie, who otherwise would not have deemed it 
expedient to leave their families to serve in the army. 
There had been one or two drafts before this, but these^ 
had not very perceptibly affected the community. Some,, 
others besides- married men were drafted at tfcis time, 



TMB WAB FMhWti AND 1.AT-SR CONDITIONS SS 

The drafted meD had to report at Rochester, Minn., and 
were mainly assigned to the 5th Minnesota Infantry, 
Before they left the prairie election day came, Tuesday, 
November 8th, and with it a snow storm from the north- 
east That day and the following night the snow fell 
as much as eight inches deep, but melted off again after 
iome days had passed. Either at the time of the draft 
mentioned, or previously, two men of the community 
4id not report at Rochester, but fled instead to parts 
unknown, preferring exile from their homes and friends 
rather than come within range of Rebel bullets. They 
were not seen at the prairie again until the fall of 1865. 
During the last two years of the war hundreds of men, 
most of whom took refuge in Canada, did the same 
rather than be compelled to serve in the army contrary 
to their choice. The 5th Minnesota regiment took part 
in the battle of Nashville, December 16, 1864. William 
Walker Everett, one of the prairie men, was killed in 
this battle. 

The winter of 1864-5 was rather cold but not as severe 
as some in earlier years were reported to haye been. 
People who had been troubled for water the previous 
fall kept a water barrel in their houses into which clean 
snow was put from time to time, and a pot of warmed 
water was occasionally added to keep the snow mainly 
melted. 

We have spoken of how slowly important news some- 
times reached the prairie. The fall of Richmond was 
inferred for some time before the event was heard of, 
because the distant sound of a cannon was noted iu the 
direction of Decorab, as if being fired in celebration of 
some important event. Although the assassination o£ 



4(> OLD TfMM OK PORTLAHl> PRAIRIE 

President Lincoln occurred on a Friday evening, it wa$ 
not until the forenoon of the following Tuesday that any 
report of this startling event reached Portland Prairie, 
though known at La Crosse on Saturday. Some traveler 
from Caledonia brought the news to the prairie, and it 
caused a profound impression. The day was cloudy, 
with sprinkling rain, and people gloomily discussed the 
event in their houses. The report also had it that Sec- 
retary Seward had been assassinated, but of details there 
were none, except that these needs had been done in the 
interest of the falling Southern Confederacy. The peo- 
ple had to wait for the particulars of this direful tragedy 
until Friday evening, April 21st. and then to the dis- 
appointment of many, the Chicago papers failed to get 
through. This meant another anxious week of waiting. 
However, the mail man was questioned as soon as he 
came in, whether this report was true or not, but while 
able to confirm it he could give but few details. It was 
not until the evening of the 28th, tv»o weeks after the 
event, that prairie people who had to rely ou the weekly 
papers from Chicago and the east, were enabled to read 
any newspaper accounts of the great tragedy. 

During the last year of war, It. E. Shumway being 
absent in the army, Hannah, his wife, attended to the 
mail. The mail man usually came along, sometimes 
on horseback, early in the evening. Entering the old 
log cabin he dropped the large leather bag on the floor. 
Hannah pulled up the top, unlocked it, and emptied the 
contents out upon the floor. The amount, mostly papers 
in packages or singly in wrappers, perhaps two or three 
magazines, and occasionally a book, would have about 
half filled a bushel basket, sometimes a little more. A 



TflK WA» PERIOli AND I.ATKB CONDITIONS 41 

few loose letters appeared, tut the. bulk of themforeach 
postoflice on the route were tied up in separate bundles, 
The mail had to be sorted over and the little of it that 
went on to Dorchester was put back in the bag, and this 
being laced up and and the snap-lock pressed to catch, 
the carrier at once departed. Next came the distribu- 
tion of the mail. A half dozen persons were usually 
waiting to get their own (or parent's) mail and often 
that of near neighbors. First the names on the letters 
were read and handed to those who were authorized to 
receive them. Then the miscellaneous mail followed 
together with the papers that came in packages. Much 
of the mail was disposed of at once in that way, but 
some had to be laid aside until called for later. The 
usual postoffice address on the letters was "Wilmington, 
Houston County, Minn.'" 

It was now the spring of 1865, and the war ending in 
May, those from the prairie who had served in the army 
gradually returned to their homes, as mustered out of 
service. The 5th Minnesota Infantry was retained in 
Alabama to do garrison duty until the following Sep- 
tember when the regiment was sent to Fort Snelling to 
be mustered out of service. But few men who went 
from Portland Prairie and vicinity were killed or died of 
disease while in the army service. It should be borne 
in mind, however, that quite a, number were in service 
only within the last year of the war. 

We shall now proceed to make some mention of the 
various families living on Portland Prairie or about its 
borders, particularly within a mile of the main road 
through the community and as existing In the spring of 
^865, or before certain families had moved *waj s 



'*'£ OLU TlMfci UN PORTLAND P3AIRI1 

In coming from Caledonia to the prairie, the upper portion og 
tome ravines being passed, and a rise up a hill made, the first 
house reached in which an American family lived, was that of 
Harley P. Kelly, on the north side of the prairie ridge or bluff aft 
some called it. The family consisted of Mr. Kelly and wife aad 
a boy and girl named George and Ella. George was born Sept 
25, 1853, and all were from the east. 

Next east where the road turns south was the house of Edufc 
Ballou. There were himself and wife, two grown-up sons named 
Edwin and Henry, and a daughter also grown named Mary. 

Next on the road south, at the end of the bluff, stcod the hous*> 
of : Amos Arnold, then no larger than when first built. Besides. 
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold, there were in the family Caroline E., Horace,, 
Maria, Lucy and Henry V. The last two were still in their later 
'teens, and the two older daughters returned to Connecticut that 
summer. Over on the east side of the farm stood the house of 
E. C. Arnold, oldest son of Amos Arnold. Besides himself and 
wife there were three small children in the family, Horace F., 
Adeline and Emma. The two first were bor,n in Connecticut. 

South of the Arnold place came C. F. Wright's farm. Mr.. 
and Mrs. Wright had three small children at this time, Samantha* 
Frederick A., and Charles. The two first were born in Black- 
stone, Mass. 

Up north on the townlme road lived the Hanson brothers and 
one, Seams Nelson, but we have no data concerning their family, 
relations. 

Next on this road south of Hanson's place was H. W. Pease'* 
eighty. Both himself and wife were getting somewhat along i% 
years. There were several children in the family, all born in. 
Maine, viz: Esther, Orra, Charles and Lucy. 

Next on the east side of the road came L. L. Lapham's place. 
While he was in the army it was looked after by Isaac Gault. Mr, 
and Mrs. Lapham had only two small children at this time named 
Fanny and Cora. There were no houses then on the ridges east 
of the Hanson, Pease and Lapham farms, nor even east of, th* 
Albee, Temple and Cass places. 



TUX WAR FEilVV AND l.ATXE COftDlTIOKB 43 

At the Albee place «eie C banes F,, and Mrs. Sarah Albee, 
jobs, brother to Char tes, and usually two hired men, The farm 
consisted of the quarter section the house stood upon, also the 
forty across the road. There was a long log stable on this forty 
roofed with straw, and a shop stood to the south of the house. 
The children of the family had all been born in the years 1848 to 
1864, and named Edgar, Emily, Maria, Alice, Alfred and Olive. 
The hrst two were born in Burrillville, R. I. 

The house of David P. Temple stood across the road east from 
the present Alfred Albee place. Mr. Temple was no farmer, but 
tatber a peison who sought civic offices instead, at one time rep* 
rcsentative in the state legislature, and later along county superin- 
tendent ot schools. Marcius Eddy and wife occupied the house, 
having two sons, Henry and Herbert. The first was old enough 
to enter the army which he did in the summer of 1864. The 
second was then a boy ot about fourteen. Between these two. 
another son had died in December, 1863. 

The Cass family next south lived quietly, the old folks seldom 
leaving the place to go anywhere. All of the family were native* 
of Massachusetts. 1 here were two daughters and two sons in the 
family, Charlotte, George, Aria!3£.d William, the last having been 
born in 1853. 

The Metcalf farm bordered both the townline road and that 
which runs east and west for a mile, passing the McNelly school 
house. From the latter point east and south, it was then called 
the Lansing road. The house on the place stood back from both 
roads. The farm was carried on by Cornelius Metcalf Jr., and 
his brother David. Mr. Metcalf, their father, lived with them. 
Cornelius Metcalf Jr. had married Elizabeth, daughter of Leonard 
Albee, and they had two small children at this time, George and 
Lucinda. Mrs. R. E. Shumway and Mrs. Wright were daughters 
of Cornelius Metcalf St., whose wife had died before the family 
came to the west. 

At the south end of the next eighty east stood Sherman's later 
built house, facing the Lansing road, but now owned by Christian 



44 OLD TIMES OH PORTLAND PSAIRIE 

Flessa. He had a son Adam, about fifteen years of age at this. 
time. Of the people who lived aoout where Eizten now stands oc 
below there, a community part German, we have little informa- 
tion of the kind here sought. 

Returning nearly to the McNelly school house, on the south. 
side of the road was the Kohlmeier place. Mr. Kohlmeier had 
been in the army, but having been sick in an army hospital, on 
leaving it he mysteriously disappeared, and was not heard of 
afterwards. The place then passed to Henry Flegg (Kohlmeier) 
who was also a soldier of the Civil war. 

Next west of the school house was the residence of Dr. Alex. 
Batchellor and wife. The children of the family ranged from a 
grown-up son, over twenty years old, downward to a small boy, 
and were named Frank, Lucy, Alexander, Martha, Moses and 
Stephen. 

A short distance west stood the house of John G. Cook. Me, 
had a daughter who married Amos Glanville. Besides these and 
and the old folks, there were two nephews of John living with 
them naued Frank and Gideon Cook. The aged father of John 
had lived with him earlier, but he had died in 1861. 

Next down the road west came the widow Everett's place, Mr. 
Everett, as already mentioned, having been killed in the army, 
near the close of the previous year. He was a son of a brother of 
Col. Cy. Everett. The house bad been built some twenty rods, 
back from the road. The children of the family were born from 
1849 to 1862, the first two by a first wife, and named William,. 
Thomas, Irene, Walker, George, Eliza and David. 

Some distance above the ravine into which the road descends, 
and on the north side of the road, stood the house of Leonard 
Albee and wife. A tXG A I bit W9& sisiu to Di. DatchelloK The 
place was carried on by Wesley Albee, who was born in 1842. 

In passing down the road to Dorchester, the first house passed 
on the east side and some thirty rods south of the road corners, 
Was that of August Guhl. The family were German, but we have 
to particulars concerning them. 



tnm WAK PKMQI* ANJ> LATER CONDITIONS 45 

A little further along the road and on the west side, stood the 
h*>use of James M. Paine and family. There were several small 
children m the family at this time, to wit, Martha, James S., 
Rufus M., Amy H., and Minerva. 

There were no other houses very close to the road ^in Section 
36, although that section was as thoroughly divided into small 
farms as it very well could be. In the southeast corner of the 
section and reached by a roadway from the main one, stood the 
house of Jeremiah Shumway, a fair sized framed dwelling, and 
the old log cabia of settlement days, which had a loft under its 
roof, as was usual with such dwellings. There were then (1865) 
rive childien in the family, the first named having been born in 
Burnllville, R. I., in 1853: Viola P., Hubert P., Mary Evelyn, 
Edgar E., and Charles O. — Rufus E. and Hannah Shumway, as 
has previously been stated, occupied the log house on the place, 
in which was the Wilmington postoffice. There were only two 
«oiall children in the family at that time, Adelia and Frederick. — 
A few rods northeast of the Shumway house, or in the southwest 
corner of Section 31, Winnebago township, was a small place, 
owned by Simeon Wait. He was in the army durmg the war. 
We have no particulars concerning his family. 

After crossing the state line, the road turns west by south and 
up through a tract of brush and trees for a quarter of a mile, then 
south again upon a broad tract between ravines, once partially 
timbered. Just below the last turn of the road and, a little to the 
west of it is the Robinson place, and even in 1865 the house was 
a substantial one. Old Mrs. Robinson was still living, but the 
place was considered as belonging to William, whose land extend- 
ed north across the state line into the south part of Section 36, 
Wilmington, in which Henry Robinson and sister Esther also 
resided. William was married and had one child, Minnie. 

In the northeast part of Section 36 Duty Paine had his farm, 
bordertng on both roads, but his log house was not very near to 
either of them. Children in the family were Catherine, James, 
Nathan, Sarah, Ida, and others boxn after he moved away 



46 OLi> TIMW OH PORTLAND rSAIRtl 

A road through this section on the quarter line passed west to 
the Duck creek ravine, intersecting or starting from the Dorchester 
road a short distance south of J. M. Paine's place. North ef 
this cross-road and toward the west side of the section, John 
McNelly then lived on a small farm. With himself and wife there 
were several children in the family that had been born to thcm r 
to wit, Ella, William, and Annie. The first was born at the east; 
two others had died in infancy, and a boy of nine had died in the 
summer of 1S63. 

To tbe south of the cross-road, Elisha Cook and family lived 
on another of tbe small farms of Section 36. The children of this 
family were named Amelia, Susan, Henry (this one was imbecile) 
Maria, Charles, William and Warren. 

Returning northward again, there were a few families 00 the 
western side or border of the prairie of whom some note should be 
taken. Arnold Stone's quarter-section was largely ridge land 
and his house stood an a broad part of the Wilmington ridge, a 
m'ile back from its eastern termination. Mr. and Mrs. Stone had 
quite a family, largely gills, tbe oldest having been born in the 
late forties. The children were named Marcus, Ellen, Jane, 
Phebe, John, Emerline, Adelaid and Lewis. 

South of the A. Stone farm and mostly on lower land, lay an 
eighty owned by James Emerson. His wife was not living, but 
he had one or two daughters nearly grown up. The names of the 
children were Eunice, Eldora, Willis and Lydia. 

The northwest % Section 24 (excepting the forty owned by 
W. R. Ballou) and an eighty next south of this quarter, formed 
Joel S. Yeaton's rather large farm. Mr. and Mrs. Yeaton had 
the following named children in tbe family, all excepting the last 
born in Maine: Florence, Zelotes, Elias, Melvin and Edgar. 

Next south of the Yeaton farm, an eighty then belonged to an 
elderly man named Alfred Marcy. His wife was a sister of L. 
Albce. This eighty is crossed through the middle by the road 
that runs scuth into the Duck creek ravine. Just west of this 
road, in one place, the ground rises to a conical hill, a saedstone 



THE WA* ;pE!<K>!> A.ND I.ATJER CONDITIONS 47 

outlier of the ridge. Just south of this mound stood a long cabin 
built of scantling and pine boards. Such dwellings were battened 
outside and papered inside, old newspapers often being used. Mr, 
Marcy had a grown-up son named Albert living with him and als* 
a daughter named Ada, well along in her 'teens. 

Along or near the road to the south of Marcy 's place, there 
were a few other families— German, Norwegian and American. 
Among these there was a Meitrodt family still represented upon 
the same place; then James Vreeland and the Sinclair brothers 
lived on farther south. The suspected identity as to connection 
between the Sinclairs and Vreelands by closer family ties than 
cousins, (p. 36) began to be admitted after the close of the war. 
Over west, Amos Lapham and wife occupied a quarter-section 
farm. Mr. Lapham was born in 1S23 and his wife's maiden 
name was Deborah Neil, whom he married June 28, 1854. 

The following is a list of soldiers of the Civil war, 
so far as we have been able to gather their names, who 
were of Portland Prairie and saw service for longer or 
Shorter periods in the South. 

E. C. Arnold, 5th Minnesota, Frederick Monk, 12th Iowa, 
Henry C. Ballou, 10th Minn., August Pottratz, 5th Minn., 
£dward L. Ballou, 6th Minn., John Robinson, — Iowa, 

Burmester, 5th Minn., Jeremiah Shumwuy, 5th Minn., 

Henry Eddy, nth Minn., Rufus E. Shumway, 5th Minn., 

VVm. W. Everett, 5th Minn., Geo. T. Shumway, 10th Minn., 
Henry Flegg, 8th Iowa Cav'y, Wm. H. Stone, 6th Minn,, 
Amos E. Glanville, loth Minn., Frederick Theis, 2d Minn., 
Wm. H. Going, 4th Minn., Simeon Wait, 10th Minn., 

Henry Kohlmeier, 5th Iowa., Jasper Williams, — , 

L. L. Lapham, 1st Minn. Art'y, Joseph Winkelman, loth Minn., 

A son of Israel Noyes djed in the army; the regiment he belong- 
ed to is not known to the writer. Possibly two or three others of 
the neighborhood not listed above may have served in the war, 



4$ OfcD TIMES ON PORTLAND FKAIRl* 

We shall next proceed to take some note of material 
•unditions as existing on Portland Prairie in 1865, the 
year the war closed, though the same might also apply 
generally, for some time before and for two or three 
years later than the year specified. The farms we have 
mentioned had by this time been quite generally brought 
under cultivation, espcially those of forty and eighty 
acres. But there was considerable unplowed land on 
some of the larger places, held as pasture, hay land or 
because partially covered with hazel brush aud scattered 
trees, in some cases groves of poplar and scrub-oak, re- 
quiring considerable labor to clear and break. North 
of the Arnold farm lay a whole quarter-section that had 
not been touched by the plow, and owned by some one 
iu Rhode Island, probably the last of the D. Salisbury 
claims. Fully fifty acres on the south side of the Ar- 
nold quarter had not been broken, and much of Wright's 
eighty adjoining was also in its natural state* His south 
eighty, now Frank Theis' farm, was still covered by the 
original prairie grass, and the same may be said of what 
is now Henry Weibke's place. Nor had anything been 
done to bring the top of the ridge under cultivation. 

Next as to farm buildings. There were some good 
framed houses in the community, but usually without 
additions, or in some cases, a cheaply built lean-to about 
the rear doors. Some were log houses, >et roofed and 
shingled as other dwellings are. The chinks were filled 
with mortar and they were whitewashed inside. A few 
dwellings were of the cabin sort. Some of the bouse* 
were not plastered inside, but papered instead. The 
stove-pipe projecting above the peak of the roof, was, in 
those times, more eommon than brick chimney* A few 



TJSK WAK PKPIOl) AND JATKR CON&FTiONB 4S> 

of the farm dwellings were painted, or had been painted 
when new, but the weathered aspect predominated. Oa 
the whole, the larger number of the farm dwellings of 
the community were of limited size and indifferent ap* 
pearance, and as for roominess, far inferior to the broad 
roofed, two-story-and-attio farm houses of New England, 
in which some of the prairie people had been born. 

What shall be said of barns on the premises of the 
prairie farms ? In comparison with present times it 
might almost be said that there were none. Put as the 
stock then kept required shelter, makeshifts for barns 
were constructed that served their purpose for those 
years. They were called "straw barns." Crotches 
placed eight to ten feet apart were set in three rows, the 
center row being the highest. Large poles were run In 
the tops of the crotches and smaller poles and fence rails 
were set leaning against the crotch poles and end rafters 
all around the outside.. Poles or fence rails were used 
for rafters, and all this formed the frame-work of the 
structure. In threshing time a large amount of straw 
was run upon and banked around it, and what was left 
would be stacked in the yard against some part of the 
Stable for the cattle to work on. Sometimes the stable 
bad a fence of posts and poles built around it within 
three feet of the sides and ends and straw was trampled 
into the spaces between, making a straw wall for the 
sides and ends. The entrance might be provided with a 
door made of boards. The tops of these straw barns or 
sheds were rounded up like the top of a rick of hay, so 
as to shed off the rain. In such sheds, horses, cattle 
and poultry were wintered. A few had log stables, but 
they were covered at first as were the others. 



&6 OLD T1MXS ON. PORTLAND ^BAHtf* 

In regard to granaries, tho only ones the writer now 
remembers as existing in 1865 were one on the Metcalf 
place, and one on Yeaton's farm at the foot of a spur of 
ike ridge, southwest of the log cabin that he occupied. 
It had been built by a former owner of the place, either 
Ferry or liobins. The Metcalf granary was built of 
oak lumber, probably sawn at the mill on Waterloo, 
creek, which was now out of use. 

Some of the people had surface wells, but all depended 
more or less on rainwater cisterns. On the Arnold farm" 
a pondhole was dug in the ravine a qurater of a mile 
east of the house and before it became filled with water; 
a well seven feet deep was put down close south of the 
pond. A tiny spring w»s struck and gave about two, 
feet of standing water in the well, sometimes more in a 
w T et speli, and the well was stoned up. The water had 
to be hauled up to the house with a sled, barrel and oxen. 
Mr. Wright also dug a deeper well down into sandstone 
rock just south of the log house be occupied, and using 
a curb and buckets, he managed to get a good supply of 
water if the season was not a dry one- 

The people were fairly well provided with agricultural 
machines and common farm implements, yet not so 
much so as in later years. There was a great deal of 
changing of work in the community, particularly in 
harvest and threshing time. Some who had a limited 
acreage in wheat hired their cutting done by a neighbor, 
offsetting the bill as much as possible by an exchange m 
work. As late as the spriug of 1865 some of the people 
were stiirsowing grain by hand, though the broadcast 
seeder was coming into use about that time. Spring 
Wfceat was then the principle crop; next in acreage came 



TH* WAR PSKICfW ANfc l.ATXR CONDITIONS Gl 

corn, and then oats. Harvest time was the busiest sea- 
son which began in the latter part oi July, Some men 
from a disiance came in at this time* but largely the 
crews were made out by exchanging with neighbors, 
their grown boys or their hired men. The same usage 
applied to threshing crews. Various self-raking reapers 
were in use, especially one called the "New Yorker" 
that cost over $200. The self-binder was unknown, 
and although conceivable, was hardly thought to be a 
possibility. 

There was scarcely any such thing on Portland Prairie 
$» threshing in the field directlv from the shock. The 
harvest over, the grain was stacked. On the larger farms-, 
some stacking was done in the fields and sooner or later 
the straw was burned; but in any event numbers of the 
stacks were pitched about the stable yards for use ot 
the straw, especially oats straw and chaff. The steam- 
thresher, although beginning to be used in some part* 
of Minnesota, was never seen on the prairie during the 
wheat-raising period. There were only a few machines 
owned in the community (one by C. F. Albee) and hav- 
ing stacked their gr^in, each farmer had to await their 
turn for a machine to get around to their places and do 
their jobs. Various horse-power machines were in use, 
run by four or generally five span of horBes, walking 
around in a circle and attached to the arms of a low 
machine largely composed of iron gearing, placed back 
about three rods from the threshing-machine, the two 
being connected by a shaft in loose jointed aections so 
it could be slanted from a low level where the horses 
stepped over its covering, gradually upward to the shaft 
of the cylinder of the thresher, at which noint beveled 



52 OLD TIME8 ON PORTLAND PRAIME 

gearing communicated the power to the whole machine. 
Th»y were provided with straw-stackers so that the sheds 
and stables could be covered anew each fall, with stacks 
of straw piled up as high as need be in the yards. The 
driver, with a long-lashed whip, stood on a platform Just 
above the gearing of the horse-power and which covered 
it over, thus keeping everything in motion. Occasion- 
ally a stop had to be luade to mend a broken belt, or to 
adjust something else about the rig that had gone wrong, 
but a regular break-down seldom occurred. It took 
about a dozen men and boys to attend to everything; 
three or four men went with the outfit and the others 
were gathered in the neighborhood. After the outfit 
bad pulled away, a ring at least 24 feet in diameter was 
left where the teams had circled around, and much grain 
was left scattered on the ground where the pitching, 
threshing and measuring had been done. It should be 
added that harvest and threshing made busy times for 
the women and their daughters, because, as they ex- 
pressed it, "they had so many extra mouths to feed." 
' It may be wondered at now in a section where wheat 
was the principal crop, how so many had to tide along 
without granaries. Of course various makeshifts bad 
to be resorted to. One method was to build bins of 
fence rails, line them inside with straw and fill them up 
With wheat as threshed. Another method was to build 
bins of scantling and pine boards, blocked up a foot or 
more above ground, but in either case roofed over with 
a rounded paeking of straw. Those were times when 
the people had to get along without many things, some 
big but more of the little sort of which they often found 
that they stood in peed. 



THE WAK PEMOl) A»D IiA<T<ER CONDITIONS 53 

The cleaning up of wheat for market or for seeding 
was attended with some inconvenience. A wagon body 
had to lifted off the wheels and placed on the ground: 
near a bin. The fanning-mill was placed inside of it, 
and the wheat run from the bin as needed into a pail of 
half bushel measure. At intervals, as cleaned and col- 
lected in the wagon body, it was shoveled into cotton 
wove sacks, which at that time cost a dollar apiece. 
Each sack held a little over two bushels and eighteen of 
them made a fair load. The cleaning job over, the body 
had to be placed back on the wheels, and the axles hav- 
ing been greased, the sacks were loaded into it and were 
now ready for the trip to Lansing, which took the most 
of two days to go and return with horse teams. During 
those times the price of wheat varied considerably, rang- 
ing from perhaps 90 cents to $1.50 per bushel. A part 
of the crop was marketed in the fall, but many trips 
being required, much of it remained stored in the bin» 
until after corn-planting time of the next year. 

Theie was no marketing of com, oats or potatoes, 
these being used at home, and where sold at all it was 
to suppiy someone who had run short. The prairie 
people got their milling (flour, corn-meal and ground 
feed) done at Dorchester. The mill there, with two run 
of stone, did the custom work of the surrounding coun- 
try and generally there were so many orders ahead that 
farmers had to leave their grists there and go a second 
time for the same several days later. In their trips to 
Lansing and to mill, the people kept themselves supplied 
with groceries and such household articles as were most 
needed. Considerable store trading was also done at 
Caledonia, then about half its present size. 



&4; OLD TIMB8 OK POHTLAND BBAIRIE 

After, the grouiid had been gone over with a marker, 
corn whs planted with hoes., , The summer's battle with 
the weeds over with in cultivating the crop, it was left 
to mature, and in the fall it was cut and shocked* either 
ten or tweive hills square to the shock. Through the 
fall it was hauled up, about as needed, and husked out 
to be fed to hogs, oxen and horses, and the fodder to 
to the cows. The main work of that season until the 
(ground froze up, was fall plowing, after which as much 
corn as possible might be hauled in from the fields, but 
the last of the shocks usually did not get hauled away 
uptjl early in the spring. 

Th« ridge lands that lay east of the Hanson, Pease 
and Lapham farms were owned and held at that time 
by speculators. Though partially open and grassy land, 
ifceie was much brush and trees upon it, and the bluffs 
near the Winnebago were timbered with oak. These 
lands formed a cattle range and while they fed on the 
ridges they got water at a small spring and pool farther 
up the P#ase ravine than any such place now exists. 

Some of the people had brought with them from the 
east small collections of books, but they had little in 
that line that was ol a later date than 1857. The prin- 
cipal papers taken in the community weie the weekly 
issues of the St. Paul Press, Chicago Tribune and the 
old home paper called the Woonsocket Patriot. Some 
miscellaneous publications were also received, including, 
two or three of various ladies' magazines. Daily papers,, 
if any chance copies reached the community at all« 
were like stray birds of passage, isolated and unusual. 



chafer y. 

THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND LATER SIXTIES. 

IN the spring of 1865 there began something in the 
way of a re-emigration from Portland Prairie, at 
least to the extent of several families. Those who went 
from the prairie at that time located in the vicinity pi 
Cedar Falls, Iowa. Qne of the first to depart for tt^e 
new location was Edin Ballou and family. He assigned 
as a reason for selling out and leaving, the fact that he 
had suffered so much inconvenience for want of water 
that he wished to get to a lqcation where the laud was 
good and water easy to obtain. Dr. Batchellor, John 
fr. Cook, Duty and James .Paine and Marcius Eddy, all 
with th«ir families, left for Cedar Fajls about that time. 

The Edin Ballou eighty was sold to William Hartley 
for $1300. Mr. Hartley was a native of Cambridgeshire, 
England, born in 1815. He came to this country in 
1848, locating first at Albany, H. Y., and later at Evans- 
ville, Ind , where he resided for seven years. He moved 
next to the Iowa river where he kept a tavern on the 
Lansing road. He had something of a mixed family, 
children by a first wife, and others who were the child- 
ren of a widow Arnesen whom he married as a second 
wife. The children were named Eleanor, Mary, Annie, 
Albert, Jennie and Adelbert. 

The Dr. Batchellor and Cook place adjoining, was 
bought by John McNelly, who, at some later date, im- 
proved the house. The house then next west, where 
John G. Cook had lived, was occupied by Israel Noye^ 



£6 OLD TIM KS ON PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

who moved over from the Everett neighborhood. He^ 
had two daughters who afterwards married two of the. 
Sinclair brothers. The Duty Paine place was bought bj 
Jorgeo Scbyltz, who came over from Germany that 
spring, and had a family. The James Paine place was 
sold to the widow Ann Sneesby, who was sister to the 
liobmson brothers. The children of this family wert 
named Alice, James, George and Effie. 

It was remarked at that time that such buildings as 
the prairie farms then chanced to possess added nothing 
to the value of the land; that with or without them the 
farms that were being sold would have brought much the, 
same price. It was further said by some, that if they 
had the means to build a good house on a plaee that 
they contemplated selling, they would not do it. The 
Community had now been fairly well settled for about 
ten years, {hough some had been there for longer and 
some for shorter intervals. In the time passed, the peo- 
ple had bettered themselves mainly in such rise in the 
value of land as had ensued, rather than in any other, 
way. And that was the most that could be looked for 
under the wheat-raising system- Every farmer, too, 
in those days, was to a greater or less extent, in debt. 

On the 4tb of July, 1865, both the German and Amer- 
ican people joined together for a picnic. There stooc( 
at the time an unfinished German church a quarter of 
a mile south of the road corners where Eitzen now is^ 
that had peen built the previous year. Although not 
wholly completed, the building was in shape so that ser- 
vices could be held in it. The Fourth of July gathering 
was held in a pleaspnt grove not far to the east of the 
church. The day was fine, and probably between two, 



THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND LATER SIXTIES 5? 

and three hundred people were assembled there, among 
whom were a few civil war soldiers, recently mustered 
out of service. David P. Temple made the address of 
the occasion. Among other things he emphasized the 
fact that this was the first national anniversary in the 
history of the country that it could truly be said that 
jthis was a free land, since hitherto, under the slave 
regime in the South, the nation had been free only in 
name. He was followed by the Lutheran minister who 
spoke in German. Rev. White of the Caledonia Circuit 
also made a brief address. The free-for-all picnic din- 
ner at improvised long tables now took place. Later in 
the afternoon the Lutheran minister got together a 
class of boys and standing in a row they sang in German 
what seemed to be church songs. As the afternoon 
waned the assemblage began dispersing to their homes, 
both in teams and on foot. 

Down to this time there was not a mile of railroad in 
Houston County, and at the close of 1864 there had been 
built only 100 miles in the state, in part radiating from 
St. Paul; but with increasing mileage this isolated sys- 
tem was not connected with any eastern lines until 1868. 
In 1864 a line was completed from Winona to .Roches- 
ter, 50 miles. In the fall of 1865 a railroad was started 
from the Mississippi, just above the mouth of Root river, 
thence up the valley of Root river and through the north 
part of the county. This line was called the Southern 
Minnesota Railroad. Sixteen miles of track were laid 
that fall and next year the road was built to Rushfbrdi 
30 miles west of the river, which was the end of the 
track for the next two years. But this line was too far 
away to open any new market for Portland Prairie, 



58 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

On the farms the year was fairly a good one. In the 
fall several farmers on the prairie concluded to try 
siieep, and hence purchased moderate sized flocks of 
Melioberts of La Crescent, who had imported large herds 
to sell in lots to any farmers who had the means to buy 
them.* The final outcome of the matter appeared to 
♦lenionstrate that the same amount of money, haflJ it 
been expended in lumber for buildings, would have been 
a wiser use of it, or the same might be said in regard to 



• About the middle of September, 1866, the writer, then a boy of 
."•eventeen, accompanied Chas. P. Albeeto La Crescent on a sheep- 
driving trip, lie was returning a flock that he had been pasturing 
and wanted a boy and saddle-horse so n:i to change alternately every 
few miles between driving on foot or In the saddle. I was sent on a 
horse to get the saddle, but tound thut his son Edgar was away with 
rt looking up cows. This caused a long delay and I did not overtake 
$Ir. Alb.ee until in the afternoon some miles beyond Caledonia, when 
both were glad to change places. VVe put up that night at the Valley 
tavern, within three miles of Hokah. Starting early next morning, 
we pushed on to La Crescent. Just beyond Hokah we saw a large pile 
of railroad iron that had been brought up Root river in barges, and 
men were at work grading the S. M. R. R. McRoberts had gone ovei 
into La Crosse, and having yarded the sheep, we went across the 
river bottom to a ferry landing and thence by boat to La Crosse. 

La Crosse in 1865 (this was Sept. 14th) was not much like what it is 
now. The place extended back from the river only a tew blocks- 
There was only one railroad in there then and the station buildings 
and end of the track were on the north side of a broad marshy basin, 
(now largely filled in) and reached by a long wagon bridge. Above 
the railroad terminal and yards lay the village of North La Crosse, 
maintained by several near by lumber-mil s along Black river. 

Having found McRoberts, we returned with him to La Crescent. 
The afternoon and part of the next day was spent picking out a flock 
of sheep. Wm. B. Johnson ot the Winnebago Valley was also there to 
get sheep, and had a boy named William Lee with him who hsd been 
brought up in his family. We looked after the sheep as separated 
from a large herd- Johnson departed fiist with his flock, and Albee 
followed later in the afternoon. We stopped that night at the Valley 
• m ->?<•. and reached the prairie with the sheep the next afternoqu. 



THROUGH THE MIDB1.K AND LATER SIXTIES 59 

introducing a better breed of hogs than the kind com- 
monly raised in that part of the country at that time. 
Prairie people were not prepared to raise sheep, either 
in respect to land seeded to grass, buildings or fences. 
Straw sheds of the sort already described had to be built 
£o shelter them. After two vears trial it became evident 
that keeping sheep in their case was productive of more 
care, bother and damage than of profit, and consequently 
all who had gone into the busness, with the exception of 
Mr. Yeaton, got out of it as well as they could. 

As had been the case early in November of the pre- 
ceding year, so again about the same time of the month 
in 1865, a snowstorm from the nort least covered the 
ground with at least eight inches of snow, which, how- 
ever melted off within a week. On one of these two 
occasions, what seemed curious, the St. Paul Press stated 
shat it appeared from reports received from La Crosse 
that they had about a foot of snow down there, while at 
St. Paul no snow had fallen, and that they were enjoy- 
ing pleasant weather there instead. In after years it 
must have become known to the Weather Bureau, as 
it did to commercial travelers, that there stretches from 
Lake Michigan southwesterly toward Nebraska, a M%. 
of country a hundred miles, more or less, in breadth, 
within which snow is apt to fall, not every year, but 
occasionally, late in October or early in November. v This 
strip of country, which crosses Houston County, the 
traveling men came to call the l 'snow-belt.*' 

The winter of 1865-6, though rather cold, was more 
marked in its latter half by the great depth of snow 
that fell. This, wind storms piled into the roads, and 
along some stretches* as uigfc as the top rails of fences 



60 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAfcRIE 

Opposite the deeper filled portions of the roads, teams 
had to take to the fields for longer or shorter distances. 
The deep snow lasted all through March. The 31st of 
that month was a moderate day with a south wind, b&t 
not quite warm enough to start a sudden thaw with 
torrents running down the ravines; yet the night follow- 
ing brought what the day had not. About midnight a 
terrific downpour of rain with lightning and thunder 
ensued. The lightning flashed almost incessantly and 
the clouds must have been low, since each yivid flash 
was followed, not by rolling thunder, but by loud and 
sharp explosions, resembling the firing of cannon. All 
of the ravines leading from the prairie became rushing 
torrents. Many bridges in that part of the country 
were swept away, including the Iowa river bridge on 
the road to Lansing. Most of the snow was swepi off, 
but where it bad drifted against ftnces, these remains 
later froze hard and did not wholly disappear until late 
in April. 

The south eighty of Wright's quarter had never been 
cultivated or fenced along the road on the township line. 
The road through the north eighty th«n continued 
straight on up a gentle rise of the ground until near 
0. F. Albee's land when it curved to the east and joined 
the townline road at the point where the one that runs 
down Tippery ravine begins. In the spring of 1866 
Frederick Theis, who had been living in the south part 
of Wilmington, moved a building on to the east forty of 
the uncultivated eighty mentioned, which he had bought, 
and fitted it up for a bouse. He broke and fenced the 
land and had the road changed to the quarter-section 
line where it now rvins, so far as to border his place, 



THROtTGH THE MIDDLE AND LATEK SIXTIES 41 

The same spring L. L. I.aj ham put up a large barn 
on his premises and in place where a different one now 
stands. It had no irame of hewn oak timbers but was 
framed instead of scantling and joist materials, such as 
would be used in building a house. It was provided 
with a commodious hay-mow or loft and basement part. 
Wm. H. Going went on to what is now the H. Weibke 
place about thai time and built a house on it just north 
of the road that runs dowu Tippery ravine. Hitherto 
the land had lain unfenced and uncultivated. 

It. E. Shumway moved that summer from the old log 
cabin near the state line to the Cook house then on the 
McNelly place. This brought the postoffice one mile 
nearer to a part of the community. 

On the Fourth of July of that year the people of the 
prairie held their picnic at the point where the road to 
Lansing crosses the Oneota or Upper Iowa river, eight 
or or nine miles distant. In those times scarcely anyone 
in the whole neighborhood possessed such a thing as a 
buggy or any other light rig for family use. Family 
parties or other groups of persons had to travel to such 
gatherings in common farm wagons, if too far away to 
go on foot. Many teams of the prairie people journeyed 
down to the river, the day being a favorable one. The* 
bridge there, swept away the previous spring, had not 
been rebuilt, but the teams easily crossed at a gravelly 
ford just above where it had stood. A flat boat had 
been used for a ferry when the water was higher than in 
its summer stage. The picnic was held in a grove close 
to the river and a little above the bridge piers. Quite 
a large assemblage of people were present, some portion 
of them presumably from that neighborhood, 



62 OLD TIMES OH PORTLAND PRAIRIK 

This year was uot as prosperous on some accounts as 
toe preceding one had been. An early frost injured the' 
corn crop where it had been planted late in the season/ 
The Colorado beetle or potato bug, began to attract at- 
tention that year as a pest to potato vines. The first 
snow of the season came on the last day of October, but 
«nly about two inehes deep. 

That year Joseph Winkelman took up his residence 
on the prairie, coming from La Crescent to manage the 
widow Everett place. He was born in Germany Fete 
ruary IS, 1838, and came to Wisconsin with his parents 
when fifteen years of age. That fall Geo. M- Watson, 
Frank Healy and Geo. T. Shu m way and probably Win- 
kelman were running a threshing-machine. Geo. M. 
Watson came to the prairie from New Portland, Maine* 
the previous year and at first worked on Yeaton's place. 
He married Lucy Arnold Christmas day, 1866, and 
took charge of the Arnold farm. 

Rev. White had now been three years on the Caledo- 
nia Circuit. In the fall of 1866 he was succeeded by 
Rev. John W. Klepper, a younger man, a native of Illir 
nois, born in 1834. In the following winter he held 
protracted meetings in the McNelly school house, some 
of the young people of the community joining the church 
society after the usual probationary period. It may be 
worth while to remark here, that in the forty and more 
years that have passed since those school bouse preach- 
ing services, many views then voiced therein have been 
abandoned as obsolete and untenable by all educated 
Clergymen of the Methodist Church. 

The Lansing road, as it was called in those times, 
runs east from the corners at the Mc^flly schoel house 



THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND LATER SIXTIES IS 

one mile on the line of sections 30 and 31, Winnebago 
township; thence it gains the center of Section 32 by 
south and east quarter mile stretches. At that point 
there are other toad corners, one road continuing east 
as a ridge road and the main or Lansing road turning 
southward through what was then the Everett neigh- 
borhood. At the southwest corner of the roads stood 
the log house of Spafford Williams, and several other 
houses stood near the roads within a quarter of a mile. 
f lies. Biggs, a blacksmith, had put up a shop a short 
distance east of Williams' place in 1862. On the road 
south was the Qerman church built in 1864. There 
was probably a school house east of the corners in the 
year under discussion. The Williams family had now 
moved to Caledonia; and other old-time settlers of the 
vicinity had also gone, Germans having bought their 
places. Sometime in 1867, Christian Bunge Jr., whose 
father was located on a farm some distance east on the 
ridge road, opened a store in the log cabin. A chapel 
had also been built east of the store during the previous 
year and two or three houses were added to the plaee, 
with a postoffice in the store the year following, all of 
which made a beginning to the village of Eitzen. 

In the sixties the people of the prairie had a custom of 
observing the Fourth of July by picnic assemblages at 
different localities. In 1867 the grove either on or ad- 
joining the Schultz place was again used for holding the 
picnic and we think also again next year, but we are 
not positive on that point. 

Beginning in 1866, when Lapham put up the barn on 
his place that has been mentioned, new and much need- 
ed buildings began to be added to the prairie' farms, by 



64 0^9 X*Hm ON PORTIA SP MJ4IKI2 

this or that person as $hey chanced to be able to build. 
Each year now saw a granary, a barn or new house built 
in the community, or more than one of each kind. Some, 
dwellings were made larger by building on additions. 
In the summer of 1867 the Wright school house was 
built on a parcel of ground either donated or bought of 
Mr. Wright and in a corner of his land made by the road. 
As first built, a door in the center of the east end opened 
into entrys with two inner doors opening into the school 
room. The pupils sat facing east. Late in the fall a 
school opened in the building, Miss Ellen Healy keeping 
the first or winter term, having some twenty pupils. 

Chas. F. Albee built a substantial granary a few rods 
north of the house he then lived in, and near the road. 
It was twelve feet posted so as to allow a Joft above for. 
8 sleeping place for hired men. 

We have spoken of a quarter-section (the southeast. 
Section IS) north of the Arnold farm as yet uncultivated. 
About the time arrived at, this quarter having been^ 
bought by Horace Arnold, was soon transferred by him 
to several other parties. £. Q. Arnold bought the south- 
east forty and had his house moved to it; the forty next 
north of it was bought by a Norwegian named Seams 
Nelson who put up a house on it near the townline road. 
The west eighty of this quarter was transferred to the 
Sinclair brothers who built a hpuse on it near its south 
end, about twenty rods east of the road corner at what 
was then Hartley's place. These several parties broke 
up the quarter and brought it under cultivation. About 
that time James Hanson, one of the five brothers, went 
on to the eighty next north of Hartley's place and put 
in. the walls of a basement to a bouse on tjie %ort|t sid$ 



THROUGH THE MlUDi.K AND LATEE SIXTIES §5 

of a shallow ravine a quarter of a mile directly north of 
Hartley's house, and this he roofed over and occupied 
several years until he could build a framed dwelling on 
the basement walls. But no house stands there now. 

Thus far along the prairie farmers had to depend on 
the grist-mill at Dorchester to get their grinding done. 
About 1861 a man at the Winnebago Valley named 
J£n3ign McDonald put up a small stone-built mill just at 
the north side of the mouth of Tippery ravme. He was 
not able to equip the mill with machinery and the war 
coming on, nothing was done with it for about seven 
years. In 1867 a new mill, also stone-built, was erected 
an the creek about a mile below the other by Eeck 
Brothers, who were from Pennsylvania. The upper mill 
was now purchased by Rose & McMillen, and late in the 
fall both mills were got in running order. McMillen 
had, for some time previously, been the hired miller at 
Dorchester. The upper mill had one run of stone only; 
the larger lower mill two, one set for flour and the other 
for grinding corn-meal and feed. At any time for sev^ 
eral years previously a mill on Winnebago creek would 
have had a good custom. 

The fall of 1867 was mild and pleasant, that sort of 
weather continuing until long into November, since the 
fall plowing held out to the day before Thanksgiving 
on which day the ground had frozen up. 

The breeds of stock raised on the farms in those years 
was of the common western kind such as usually accom- 
panied the wheat raising as a principle crop. Pew or bo 
attempts were made to improve the breeds of hogs; as for 
cattle, cows and steers, they were said to have become 
u bred in and out" owing to so much free range. 



66, OLD TIMES OK PORTLAND PRAIUB 

In 18.Q.8, what is now the body part of the house oil 
the "Wright place was built, Mr. Wright having down to 
that year continued to live in the original log cabin on 
the same site. Some time previously a wind-storm blew 
over a tall oak on the south side of the cabin, its top 
falling into a tree on the north side, so that the trunk 
and lower branches came in contact with the roof of the 
cabin, partially crushing it in. Mr. Wright then built 
a woodshed and lived in that while the new house was 
being erected. An addition was built on the north side 
of Leonard Albee's house the same year. 

The present Mc^elly school house was also built in, 
1868, and without at first removing the old one. The 
new building was put in close west of the other. The 
entrance door was placed near the southwest corner, so 
a,s to open directly into the schoolroom to one side of the 
teacher's desk. After the building had been completed 
in June it was used in which to hold church services, 
and in fact, the first service of any kind to be held in, 
the building was the public funeral service of Wesley 
Albee, son of Leonard Albee, who died July 5, 1868 r 
Rev. J. W. Klepper preaching the sermon. The old 
sphool house remained in place where it had stood for 
a little over ten years, until the next winter, when, 
having been bought by Esten Olson, it was moved over 
to his place a mile or more farther west. 

During the same year ft. E. Shumway moved the 
house he then liyed in to his present place, which earlier 
had been part of the Metcalf farm. This brought the 
postoffice to the townline road and more centrally for 
the community in general, than when the house stood 
to the wes,t of the McNelly residence. 



THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND LATEK SIXTIES G? 

W. Ii. Eallou was still about the prairie at ',:mes and 
had been so since war years, but with occasional long 
absences at the east. A bout the time the Winnebago 
mills were put in operation he located near the upper 
one, yet worked at the prairie more or less in the warm 
season putting up barns, granaries and sometimes addi- 
tions to houses. The Wright school house had been 
built under his charge, and in 1868 he put up a granary 
at the Arnold place. I] is forty around the end of the 
ridge, he had transferred to the Sinclair brothers. Mr. 
Ballou was a widower, his wife having died in Burrill- 
ville, Ii. I., September 6, 1854. He had one son, Oscar 
B., born September 19, 1858, and who at the time now 
referred to was living at Leonard Albee's place. 

Frank Healy married Esther E. Pease, oldest daughter 
of Hosea W. Pease, April 8, 1868, and they went to live 
on the Marcy place which Mr. Healy had bought. Mrs. 
Marcy had died the previous \ear and Mr. Marcy and 
his son Albert had moved away; Ada Marcy married 
Alexander Batchellor Jr., and the couple were living in 
Iowa, several miles from Cedar Falls. 

Hitherto the surplus wheat raised on the prairie farms 
had been carted to Lansing as the most available market 
town on the river, and in like manner farmers through 
the central part of the county journeyed to Brownsville, 
unless, in some cases, they went to points on the S. M. 
railroad. In 1868 a stone-built warehouse for receiving 
wheat was put up on the banks of a slough about a mile 
north of the site of New Albin which was then a farm. 
A store and a house or two was built near the ware- 
house and lumber to sell to farmers was barged in there. 
A man named Hayes and Wm. Kobinspn were ckieoy 



68 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

interested in the place, which was commonly called tb§ 
"New J^anding." There was not space enough there^ 
at the foot of the bluff for much of a place to grow up, 
while "Ross' bench" across both the Winnebago creek 
and the Iowa state line, was a natural town site. After 
a fitful existence of about four years, the building of the 
west side river line of railroad and starting of the village 
of New Albin, caused the "landing" to be abandoned. 

About 1869, possibly in the spring of that year, the, 
county commissioners earne from Caledonia to view and 
lo decide on the location of a piece of road in Section 24. 
The cross-road from the Wright corners over to the west 
road hitherto had no existence. Nor did the west road 
pass up on to the ridge where it runs now up the east 
side of a spur of the ridge. Instead, after passing by 
Frank Healy's (now Stigen's) place, it continued north- 
erly by the east end of Yeaton's log cabin and thence 
turned up on to the top of the ridge, near where the t 
house of the place now stands under the ridge. There 
was then a roadway on the top of the ridge to its eastern 
termination. It descended off the ridge at the south- 
eastern shoulder, crossed the ground south of the Arnold 
house of that time and joined the main road near the 
Wright school house. The road from the Wright corners 
over to the west road having been established, that on 
the eastern part of the ridge was abandoned so far as 
no longer needed, and the ground it had crossed became 
fenced in. At that time new fences were much made 
of posts and pine fence-boards, apd some of the old rail 
fences had begun to be replaced by them. 

In the old days two large "lone trees" were standing 
well up on either shoulder of the ridge and on the farm 



THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND LATER SIXTIES 6& 

of Amos Arnold. That at the north shoulder was a tail 
birch tree with a trunk much over a foot in diameter; 
the other was a full-grown black oak. Both trees, in 
coming from the north or south, could be seen at long 
distances away apd formed landmarks. The birch was 
blown down during the Civil war, and the oak also fell 
in a storm many years afterwards. 

During 1869 several persons on the prairie united to 
take "Harper's Weekly," the leading illustrated pape* 
of that period-, a larger number were taking during the 
later sixties the «2*ew Xork Ledger," which for many 
years past had been the leading story paper of the coun- 
try At the same time many of the young people of 
the community rejoiced over the weekly visits of -The 
Youth's Companion," a publication started by Nathan^ 
F Willis in 1820, Si. Paul and Chicago weeklies, were 
still taken in the community. Many too, who had come 
from Rhode Island or the adjacent part of Massachu- 
setts, took the "Woonsocket Patriot," their -old home 
paper" and an excellent lamily weekly in its time. VI 
course a few other publications reached the community, 
such as some copies of a farmer's paper, one or two 
religious publications, and one or two ladies' magazines, 
During 1863 several persons took Harper's Magazine, 
but no later issues, we think, had since been seen in the 
community. The numerous magazines of present times 
were then, nearly all of them, unborn. From year to 
year, as before, no dailv papers were seen there. 

The prairie people appear to have been invited to 
com* to Caledonia to spend the Fourth of July, 1869. 
Quite a humber of them went up to that village on that 
day, which was a favorably pleasant one. The general 



70 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIXIE 

picnic, which we think, was of the basket kind, each 
family party bringing their own provisions, was held in 
a fine grove of large poplars south of where St. Peters 
church now stands. If we remember correctly, a stand 
for speakers and a platform for a bowery dance was 
used there. The village had not changed much since 
wartime. On all sides around where there are either 
new streets or extensions of old ones, were then fenced 
fields or a few scattered buildings. The court-house 
was then a two story wooden building; there were four 
small wooden-built churches in the place, and several 
stores and saloons, and one printing office. We do not 
think that the place then contained a single stone-built 
or brick building. 

The year was a fair one for crops on the farms. Mr. 
Yeaton had kept his sheep and had a large flock on his 
hands. He said that if he kept them he would have to 
have a wider range of pasture. The Everetts had al- 
ready emigrated to Burt County, Nebraska, and so Mr. 
Yeaton decided to sell out and locate in the same then 
new section of country. He had his sheep driven to 
that state and in the fall a largely attended auction was 
held at his place and stock, farm machinery, etc, disposed 
of to good advantage. The farm was sold to Cornelius 
Metcalf Jr., who soon occupied it, leaving the old place 
to his father and brother David. David Metcalf had 
married Florence Yeaton about the time here under con- 
sideration. Mr. Yeaton had not done much to improve 
buildings on the place while he owned it; a shed-roofed 
addition had been built to the old log house; yet much 
money and labor had been expended on post-and-board 
fences and in breaking land on the top of the ridge. 



THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND LATER SIXTIES 71 

In the fall of 1869 Jeremiah Shumway purchased of 
Charles Albee the south eighty of his quarter-sectiom 
and in the spring of 1870 he prepared to leave the old 
place near the state line and occupy the other. First a 
granary with a walled uuder part was built and the 
family occupied that while a new house with an ell part 
was being built a few rods north of it. 

There was some other building on the prairie that 
>ear; Leonard Albee and Mr. Cass had barns built on 
their places, and A. Arnold an ell to the west side of 
his house. These three jobs were in charge of W. R. 
Ballou who had been living for some years at the Win- 
nebago Valley and near the upper mill. The same year 
Fred Ruhe built a house on the south side of the road 
about a half mile east of the McNelly school house. 

George T. Shumwaj mairitd Floier.ee E. Henderson, 
a former school teacher in the community, April 3, 1870, 
and they were living at the Nelson Coil place above 
Dorchester. Mr. Shumwtiy took the contract to carry 
the mail twice a week between Dorchester and Browns- 
ville, beginning July 1st. J. Shumwpy took charge of 
it most of the time, though young persons* in the em- 
ployment of one of the other of the brothers, were gen- 



* One of these chanced to be the publisher of this pamphlet. In 
1870 Brownsville was experiencing Rood times. Th<ie was no rail- 
road nearer than the Southern Minnesota to cut off back country 
trade. Itvas the principal gateway fiom the river to Caledonia. 
The place had three hotels, several M<ns, tvo eltvatois. a church 
or two, two breweries, a small steam saw-mill, and a grist-mill on 
Wildcat creek. In the boating season the packets made landings 
every day and numerous ratt-steameis frequently passed the place 
either pushing the great rafts of pine logs down stream or making 
their return trips , seldom ever making any stop there. That wasthe 
year of the Franco-Frus&ian war, and the hotels had daily papers. 



72. OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRI? 

erally on the road either in a light rig or on horseback 
The postpffice still remained at Itufus Shumway's place* 
On the Fourth of July many of the prairie people went 
to a celebration of the day at Dorchester, no attempt 
having been made toward any home picnic affair. 

Rev. J. W. Klepper had been succeeded in the fall of 
1868 by Rev. James Door who was on the circuit only 
one year. Under his ministry several persons united 
with the local church society, which at that time and in 
the early seventies reached the full measure of its pros- 
perity. The Sunday School was well attended by the 
young folks and held its sessions in the forenoon during 
the hour preceding the regular service. The meetings 
were held each alternate Sabbath, but the Sunday School 
convened each Sunday in the warm months. It had 
quite a Bible class of young people, taught by D. P. 
Temple, who was a Presbyterian, and well educated man. 
I^he Sunday School library had not been improved much, 
and might and should have been better than it was for 
those years. The society being Methodist, class-meet- 
ings succeeded the preaching service, Leonard Albee 
being the class leader. They were thought more of in 
the denomination then than now, having since largely 
been abandoned as an institution that has been out- 
grown. Once or twice each year a presiding-elder came 
and held quarterly-meetings. Qn these occasions the 
school house was filled to its full capacity. 

Rev. Door was succeeded by Rev. A. M. Stevens. Be- 
fore the conference year ended his voice failed him and 
he had to retire from the ministry. One or two transient 
preachers came, followed by Rev. Linderman Wright 



CHAPTER VI. 
PORTLAND PRAIRIE IN THE SEVENTIES, 

ONLY about fifteen years had now elapsed since tba 
prairie had began to be fairly well, though not 
entirely, occupied. Some thirty American families had 
come in the fifties, and others later along, but consider- 
able change had already ensued through re-emigration, 
as has been noted. Those brought into the community 
as children in the early days were now becoming young 
men and women and hence marriages were seemingly 
more frequent during \,be decade here reached than 
formerly. The real "old times" of any western settle^ 
ment are naturally those of the active years of the first 
generation of settlers, since the times following, when 
their grand-children are growing up, are certain to have 
become changed in many respects. 

In the later sixties the question sometimes came up. 
as to the probability of a railroad up and down the west 
bank of the Mississippi river, say between Dubuque and 
St. Paul. On one occasion, the subject being remarked 
upon in the postoflBce, the elder Mr. Metcalf replied 
that such would certainly he, the case sometime in the 
future, but that he could not hope to see its consummation 
in his days. Years afterwards the writer reminded Mr. 
Metcalf that he had lived to know that both sides of 
the river had been banded by steel rails. One hundred 
miles of part of one of the river lines was built from 
St. Paul to Winona in 1869-71. In 1870 it was reported 
$hat a company would build north from Dubua^ne along 



74 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

the west side of the river. During the year 1871 thi^ 
road was graded as far or about to the state line, and 
the track laid to Yellow river, some miles north of Mc- 
Gregor. In those times Lansing had grown to a con- 
siderable sized town, with a number of brick buildings 
on its main street, and it had such industrial establish- 
ments as flour mills, lumber mills, a wagon factory, a 
furniture manufactory, a brickyard, machine-shop, etc. 

To return to prairie matters. During the summer 
of 1871 H. P. Kelly tore down his log house and built a 
large framed one with an eLl, in its place. A carpenter, 
named Alonzo Preston lived southwest from Leonard 
Albee's place during the first half of that decade and 
worked at his trade, among other jobs having charge of 
building Kelly's house, where Lewis Haar resides now. 
Nelson Preston came earlier than his brother and left 
the place about 1872. Down to the time now reached 
there were few buggies or any sort of light wagons owned 
in the community. The use of the common farm wagon 
was still the ordinary method of getting from one place 
to another. At about this time the women had their 
sewing-society and were accustomed to meet at one, 
house or another at least once each month. 

In 1871 a map of Houston County was published and 
on a scale large enough to include the names of owners 
of land in each section of the townships. We shall 
take in order the sections adjoining in Wilmington and 
Winnebago townships, four sections in each north and 
south, and proceed to specify the owners of the land in 
each section. The tract thus covered comprises eight 
square miles, or the most of Portland Prairie and also, 
some of the ravine-and-ridge laqds... 



EXPLANATION. 

Only about seventy copies for this work have been printed! 
Each sheet contains four pages, and in the final make-up of th& 
printed sheets for binding it was found that eight sheets represent- 
ing pages 73-76 were lacking, and consequently eight copies out 
of the whole number of the pamphlets printed would be minus 
those four pages, unless the type for them was again re-set and the 
printing for the missing sheets gone over again. This we have done 
for the two first pages of each sheet, but we do not think it worth 
while to reproduce the map record and added remarks merely for 
making complete the last eight copies of the pamphlet. This 
would involve too much labor. Moreover much the same record 
of land ownership in the eight sections listed, may be found on 
pages 89, 90, as cited from a plat-book of 1878. Between 1871 
and 1878, only a tew changes of ownership of farms had taken 
place in these eight sections. 

Not to make a break at the top of page 77, we reproduce below 
the last two lines that in the complete copies occur at the bottom 
of page 76: — 

In confining this survey to an area four miles long 
and two miles wide, the names of some persons whose- 



PORTLAND PRAIRIE IN THE SEVENTIES 7% 

farms were in adjoining sections, but who nevertheless 
were of the community, find no mention. On the west 
border of the specified area were farms of H. P. Kelley, 
Arnold Stone, a forty of Frank Healy, and west of that 
James D. Emerson's place, F. Meitrodt, other land of 
Esten Olson, and the Sinclair or Vreeland place. James 
Vreeland had moved to Lansing in the later sixties. 

The village of Eitzen was growing a little. A church 
was built there in 1871. Conrad Lauffer built a tavern 
there the same year. C. Bunge was keeping store and 
the postoffice in a framed building that had replaced the 
old log house. There was a wagon and blacksmith shop 
at the place, also a stone-built school house. Samuel 
Evans, Geo. Carver, and perhaps Joseph Melvin, appear 
to have been the only American settlers left in that 
neighborhood, though Jones and Graves were still at 
their places on the ridge. 

During the spring and summer of 1872 the river line 
of railroad was pushed northward to La Crescent where 
it joined a line of 28 miles built south from Winona by 
the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Company. The new 
line from Dubuque to La Crescent was called the Chi- 
cago, Dubuque & Minnesota Railroad, but for short was 
spoken of as the "C. p. & M." Ultimately it became 
part of the Milwaukee system. When the track reached 
the Ross bench in May, a town was laid out there which 
the railroad company named New Albin. This made a 
market within fourteen miles of Portland Prairie, to 
which farmers could drive and return the same day. A 
number of the children born at the prairie now saw a 
railroad, cars and locomotives for the first time. But 
since 1868 the county had been circled around by rails, 



78 Q£P T1MJE8 ON PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

William Robinson died in the fall of 1872 and having? 
previously become incapacitated, a family who were 
relatives of Mrs. Robinson came to look after the place. 
The head of the family was named Daniel D. Smith. 
He had two boys, pania and Fred, aged at this time 
about fifteen and five years. 

Rev. Linderman Wiight was on the circuit one year 
and in the fall of 1871 he was succeeded by Rev. Henry 
C. Jennings, a young man who had but recently entered 
the ministry. Rev. Jennings was born in Illinois in 
1850, and received a theological education at Evanston. 
He appeared to be as broad-minded in general, as some 
of his predecessors and successors were the reverse, for 
at that time a large number of representatives of the 
old school of Methodism of the Peter Cartwright cast, 
were still in active service. Moreover, at that time, the 
new nineteenth century knowledge that was being ac- 
cumulated, destined to produce many changes of opinion 
among the well-read classes as to old-time views, were 
rather slow in being diffused through country districts. 
I,n January, 1873, Rev. Jennings held a notable revival, 
which mainly affected the young people of the commun- 
ity, and after the usual probationary period resulted in. 
increasing the me mbershin of the church society to a 
marked extent* 

During this decade there was less attention given to 
the observance of the Fourth of July than formerly.* 
On that day in 1873 there was light rain in the forenoon 

* The publisher of this pamphlet was absent in eastern Connect- 
icut from November, 1870 to May, 1873, and does not remember what 
he may have been informed by letter in regard to anypicnic gather- 
ings possibly held in the years 1871 and 1872 



PORTLAND PKA1R1E IN THE SEVENTIES 79 

tend no picnic having been planned the people remained 
at their homes. The afternoon being fair, a number of 
the young people went to the Cass place to use a swing. 

A mail route was maintained during most of this 
decade from Waukon to Caledonia, hence that part of 
the Brownsville route between the prairie and Dorches- 
ter was taken into the other. In the warm months 
Herbert P. Shumway, oldest son of J. Shumway, often 
drove the mail, but winters he attended high or acad- 
emic schools and later ou the state university. 

During the year Alonzo Preston worked about the 
prairie in the carpentering line. He built that season 
a body part to the house of E. C. Arnold (the smaller 
Old part being remodeled into an ell) and also a porch 
around the body part to A. Arnold's house. The first 
drilled well3 on the prairie were put down that summer. 
These at first were not very deep ones; thus one at the 
Arnold place drilled 34 feet in the bottom of a stoned 
up well which was about thirty feet deep, and as the 
water rose 30 feet in the drill-hole, it furnished what 
was needed at that time. 

Isaac Gault, who had been around the prairie for 13 
years, left in the summer and settled in Oregon; Elijah 
and Abram Sinclair moved to Nebraska; in the fall 
Wm. H. Going sold his place to Henry Weibke, who had 
been in the country since 1856, and moved to the same 
state. Along about that time David P. Temple sold his 
place to Geo. Cass and also moved to Nebraska, as so 
many others had done and were doing. The next win- 
ter Amos Lapham sold his farm to Adam Flessa and 
after a summer spent in Massachusetts himself and wife 
located in Caledonia. 



80 OLD TIM&S ON PORTLAND P'KAIRlf 

In November, 1873, soaie of the young folks of th$ 
community became interested in arranging and planning 
for a winter term at school in Caledonia. Wm. Beldeii 
had arranged to open an academic school there, and as a 
goodly portion of the students were to attend from the 
surrounding country, they had now to arrange to board 
themselves there at least rive days in each week while 
the term continued. On Friday evenings the students 
would be taken to their homes. Different persons used 
to carry the prairie students back and forth in that way 
in horse teams. Of those that were students from the 
prairie that first winter we recall Herbert P. and Viola 
P. Shumway, Emily Albee, Martha Paine, Wm. Cass Jr., 
Mary Evans, Samantlia Wright, H. Franklin Arnold, 
and possibly there were one or two others. At a later 
date others attended the Caledonia Academy, as they 
became old enough to do so. Those mentioned now 
became intimate with students from other communities 
whom they either had not known before or had only 
occasionally seen. 

Rev. Jennings left the circuit in the fall of 1873 and 
was succeeded for the next two years by Kefv. Aaron 
Matson, an elderly clergyman, a native of Ohio, born in 
1823. Evidently he had absorbed none of the current 
new ideas of the age, for many of his views of facts and 
doctrine have since been abandoned by all well educated 
Methodist clergymen. 

Temple's house had stood gable end to the road, just 
across east from J. Shum way's house. In 1874 George 
Cass turned the house about to front the road and built 
on an addition. He had married Ellen Healy, January 
8, 1870, and had two small children at this time. 



PORTLAKD fHAlKIE IK THE SEVEMTES Si 

It was probably during the Christmas holiday season 
of 1874, when the young folks were at home from school 
(for those mentioned as going to Caledonia attended 
the academy more than one winter term) that Rev. H. C« 
Jennings came from Chatfield, Minn., and delivered in 
the McNelly school house a lecture which he called 
''Memories of the Middle Ages." He said he had be- 
come au interested student of history and had put the 
salient points of the period mentioned into lecture form, 
This effort was well attended, fairly interesting and well 
delivered. He had previously delivered the same lecture 
at Caledonia. 

Martha and Amy Paine, daughters of JtmesM. Paine 
who had formerly resided at Portland Prairie, were now 
in the community again, living with relatives. In the 
spring of 1875 James Sayles Paine, a brother of the Paine 
sisters, and aged seventeen, came up from Iowa and 
worked that season for Geo. Cass. At first he stopped at 
J. Shum way's. Trifling incidents often set going larger 
movements. It chanced that "Sayles,"as he was called, 
brought a base-ball with him, which was soon in use one 
evening after chores were done and before it got too 
dark, in playing pitch and catch with some of the Shum- 
way boys. Later others joined these, and with bats and 
more balls, a round of base-ball playing was inaugurated 
by the young men of the community, and by others not 
so young. It became customary that season to meet on 
each Saturday afternoon in a field west of C. Albee's 
house, where the grass was fed down, for base-ball 
practises. 

Now when the people at Pope's Prairie became cog- 
nizant of these doings, they started games going in their 



82 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

community, and next in regular order came match, 
games between picked nines of both communities, each, 
ending with a dinner for all, including spectators of 
both sexes, no small number, though not so large as the 
Fourth of July gatherings. We recall two such occa- 
sions, one for each community. At the prairie the meet 
was on Geo. Cass' land; on the occasion at Pope's Prai-r 
rie the dinner in the afternoon was given on the floor of 
a large new barn, a little to the west of the main road. 

Connected with these ball games of the summercame 
an observance of Independence day wherein the people 
of Pope's Prairie joined those of Portland Prairie in 
holding a grove picnic. The 4tb of July, 1875, fell on 
Sunday, so that the gathering took place on Saturday. 
There was then a grove of large poplars and small oaks 
southeast of the A. Arnold house, adjoining Wright's 
eighty and about fifty rods east of the road. This was 
cleared up, a long table of boards provided and a swing 
was put up between two suitable trees. The forenoon 
was cloudy and threatened rain, but toward noon the 
sun appeared and the rest of the day was fair and warm. 
The people of Pope's Prairie having arrived, those of the 
home community rapidly gathered for an obseryance 
like some of those of previous years. After the picnic 
dinner most of the men went to a level piece of ground 
just east of where G. M. Watson's lower barn now stands 
either to engage in a game of base-ball or to witness the 
same as spectators. 

Just as the joint picnic of two communities in a large 
measure grew out of the ball games of that season, so in 
turn the picnic gathering suggested another of a differ- 
ent character in the same place, for Sunday, July 18tb. 



PORTLAND PRA1BIE IN THE SEVENTIES 8$ 

Among those present at the picnic were Rev. Aaron 
Matson and family. The occasion and place suggested 
to Mr. Matson ihe idea of a grove meeting and while 
many were out to the ball ground he talked the matter 
over with those remaining in the grove, also later at the 
house from which the people of Pope's Prairie departed 
in their teams toward evening. So it was arranged to 
hold a grove meeting. The Sunday mentioned was a 
very fair day and people came to this unique religious 
service from Caledonia, Pope's Prairie, Winnebago Val- 
ley and of course from all around in the home commu- 
nity. At least two hundred people were present. We 
think there were forenoon and afternoon services, a 
certain Rev. Rogers preaching the sermons, assisted by 
Kev. Matson. 

While Rev. Rogers was in the community he took the 
occasion to organize a temperance lodge at the McNelly 
school house, and he explained the matter to the people 
on the occasion of the grove meeting. ^t>me of the 
grown people joined in the movement, but in general, 
the organization was maintained for a little over two 
years by the young people to whom any such institution 
of a minor and usually transient character, was new and 
novel. Their meetings were held at the school house 
Saturday evenings, at first weekly, and later every other 
week. It may truly be said that along in the middle 
seventies the prairie community had on the whole an 
interesting class of young folks, about fifty in number, 
ranging in age from twelve upward to twenty or more. 
And here it may be observed, what is already apparent, 
that these movements influencing young and old since 
spring, grew out of a ball brought into the community. 



84 QLP TIMES O^ PORTLAND FRAIBI? 

In the fall of 1875, Charles F. Albee built the house, 
now on. the place, the lumber haying been hauled frou\ 
New Albin. The body and ell were both built at the 
same time. The old house had stood on the same site, 
but was moved back and used for a woodshed and a 
place to keep implements. The old log barn across the 
road stood for sonrie years longer. 

J^ate in the fall Rev. Aaron Matspn was assigned by 
the conference to some other circuit, and for the con-, 
ference year 1875-6 no minister was returned to the 
Caledonia Circuit. The people of the prairie took that 
opportunity to build a church of a size adequate to the 
community and on land donated by Geo. Cass. It was, 
built in the summer of 1876, largely by subscription, but 
considerable work was also contributed in various ways r 
such as hauling stone for the foundation, lumber and 
othev materials, some carpentering a,nd lathing work. 
Dr. Ambler of New Albin, and, a A^r. Hall of Caledonia 
sometimes acted as itinerant preachers, and one or the 
other probably first preached in the new building. In 
November ltev, W. M. liowdish was assigned to the cir- 
cuit and remained two years. 

There was not much doing on the prairie that year 
besides some building.* Cornelius Metcalf Jr. erected 

* There bt-ing no Fourth ot July celebration at the prairie that 
year, the writer with H F. A mold, Martin Taylor and William Lee 
went to La Crosse. The speaking was iu a German beer-garden and 
Robert Collyer of Chicago made the principal address.— A few pet- 
89ns went from Caledonia to the Centennial Exposition at Philadel- 
phia that year; the writer also went from Portland Prairie. Going in 
September, tickets in I a Crosse were then 839.40 for the round trip and 
good for sixty days. There was also a variety of routes from which 
to make a choice, going by one route and returning by another. The 
writer was enabled to again visit the southern New England states. 



PORTLAND PRAIRIE IN THE SEVENTIE8 85 

a large house on his place and in the base of the ridge; 
however, it was not finished off inside so as to be occu- 
pied for about two years. To the south a quarter of a 
mile or more, Frank Healy put up a building on the east 
side of the road, called a granary, but it had a hay-loft 
above and a stable in a basement below. The hay was 
passed down through the granary part into the mangers 
in closed vertical chutes. The building is not there in 
present times. 

About this time the farmers of the prairie began to 
possess themselves of open buggies and in some cases 
light two-seated wagons. These were much better to 
get around in than the ordinary farm wagon. The days 
of covered carriages bad not yet come, so far as the 
prairie community was concerned. Wood for the season 
was hauled in winter and early in the spring was sawn 
and chopped up for stove use. This practise had been 
more or less general through the decade. Each place had 
one or two hired men, when large boys were lacking in 
a family, and the former were usually young men hired 
for the season, and who came from Iowa or Wisconsin.* 

As has been said, the young folks who had been or 
were still attending the school at Caledonia had formed 
friendships with others of their age belonging to other 
communities. This led to pleasant interchanges of visits 
along in the middle seventies, Martin Taylor and sisters 
of Pope's Prairie, Myron Butterfield of Union, and a few 
others occasionally making visits at the prairie. 



* Borne of these young men around the prairie in the middle and 
later seventies were named Thoe. McKee (came in 1874) Leonard and 
Robert Oliver, Fred Oben and J. Hophius. Then there were German 
and Norwegians who worked on the farms. Melvin Yeaton of Ne- 
braska was there more than one season, and J Sayles Pain,e. 



86 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND BttAIftlE 

Sometime before 1877 L. L. Lapham bought a large 
amount of brick that had been made near the Ross 
spring, at the foot of the bluffs near New Albin. In 
the year mentioned the brick house on the Lapham 
place was erected and in course of time the small fram- 
ed house near the road which the family had occupied 
seventeen years, was torn down. That year Chas. F. 
Wright built on the ell to the north side of his house. 
It was in the middle seventies, we think, that Mr. W. 
set out near the road rows of little pines. It was not 
thought by some that they would ever thrive, but they 
form quite a grove now, bordering the road. 

The observance of the Fourth of July now depended 
upon whether there was a general agreement in the 
community to gather for thstf purpose or not. The grove 
in which the last picnic was held had been grubbed out 
the preceding year, the ground plowed, and it was now 
a field of grain. It was proposed that year to go down 
to the Iowa river and hold a basket picnic, each family 
party providing for themselves. There was a meeting 
in wagons and carriages at the Albee and Shumway 
places, both near the new church, and then the route 
taken was the road to Dorchester; passing that place on 
the east, the creek valley was followed some distance to 
where a road turned up and over an elevated ridge, from 
which a descent was made down into the Upper Iowa 
river valley. A grove between the river road and the 
stream was occupied by the Mt. Hope people; most of 
the teams had passed this point, when a Mr. Ratcliffe 
hastened after them and as he passed different teams 
he extended an invitation to join this valley community, 
in their observance of the day. After some conference 



PORTLAND PKA1BIE IN THE SEVENTIES 8? 

this cordial invitation was accepted and the procession 
turned back to the grove and unhitched the horses. 
Both picnic parties were of about the same number, 
neither over large, and hitherto any acquaintance had 
been but casual in some cases* The Mt. Hope party had 
a platform and organ upon it, so that during part of the 
afternoon there was music and singing. A number of 
the boys and young men did not neglect to go over 
to the river for a swim. The day was pleasant and on 
• the whole there was more pleasure derived from joining 
parties than could have been had by either singly. As 
the afternoon waned, the prairie people hitched up their 
teams, and passing down the valley some distance to 
the Lansing road, they returned home by that route. 

The temperance organization mentioned on a preced- 
ing page, having lasted somewhat longer than could have 
been expected, came to an end by reason of internal 
dissensions. For a long time adult members, consider- 
ing it a young folks' affair, had ceased attending its 
semi-monthly meetings. Nevertheless the lodge flour- 
ished. But by September, 1877, it became filled with 
composite elements, and dissensions arose. A number 
of the members consequently refused to attend the next 
meeting, at which about two dozen young men and boys 
were present. Seeing the trend of things, several ruling 
spirits conferred among themselves, then one of them 
named Hophius put in a motion to terminate the lodge. 
This was generally agreed to and the local organization 
was declared to be disrupted, and a scene of confusion 
followed for some time. The matter made talk in the 
community for a while, but no attempt was ever mad® 
to re -instate things. 



88 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

The winter following, for t'ne most part, was open$ 
wet and muddy. No winter like it had been known in 
that part of the country since its settlement. It had 
been a custom to kill hogs in December and after they 
were dressed to pack them away in straw bins or gran- 
aries to freeze up and then cart or sled them to market 
when prices rose. This method was no longer safe and so 
a better one came into use at this time, that of placing 
hog-racks on wagons and transporting the hogs to market 
and selling them live-weight. Some attention was being 
given to secuie better breeds of hogs, but as to cattle the 
buyers who annually came around, said that the blufl> 
and-prairie region of Iowa and Minnesota was backward 
in growing good stock, and to make fair lots they had 
to pick the best they could find here and there. John 
Robinson had for some years been located at New Albin 
as a buyer and shipper of stock, and G. M. Watson also 
made the beginning of an extensive business in the 
same line along in the middle seventies. 

Gradually some persons left the prairie for other loca- 
tions. James Hanson sold his eighty to Wm. Hartley 
and moved to Douglas County, Minn., where he died a 
few years later. Horace Arnold and Marcus Stone went 
to Lake County, Dakota, and others left about that time 
to look for land if not to stay. 

There was no picnic of the prairie people for the 4th 
of July. 1878, but the day being pleasaut some families 
went on invitation to the Widow Robinson place for an 
outing. In September a few of the prairie people went 
up to St. Paul to attend the State Fair for that year, 
at which on one day President Hayes was present and 
made an address to the thousands gathered there, his 



PORTLAND PBAIRIE IN THE SEVENTIES 89 

topic being the financial condition of the nation under 
his administration. Prof. Henry of the Weather Bureau 
and a few other officials were of the presidential party. 

A plat-book of Houston County was published in 1878. 
Taking the same sections in Wilmington and Winne- 
bago townships as before noted on pages 75 and 76, and 
in the same order, it may be observed that some changes 
had taken place in regard to the ownership of land in 
each of these sections since 1871, and what the changes 
had been. In the penciled copy here used we find that 
we have not noted names of owners of ridge and ravine 
lands in the two most northern sections and we cannot 
make these complete, but this will not matter. 

Section 13, Wilmington. — 

South half only; west quarter of same, William Hartley, l6© 
acres. East quarter, H, Arnold, 70. acres; S, Nelson, 40 acres; 
E. C. Arnold, 50 acres. (The latter had bought ten acres ofi the 
€Me Moen or H. Arnold eighty, while Nelson owned twenty ad' 
ditional acres next north of the forty here listed.) 

Section 24. — 
A. Arnold, 160 acres; C. F. Albee, 40 acres; C. Metcalf, 
196 acres; C. F. Wright 80; F. Thiess 8o; H. Hannebuth 40, 
and F. Healj 40 acres. (C. Metcalf had 29 additional acres on 
the west side of his farm in Section 23, Four acres of his other 
200 were deducted for the east and west road, leaving 196.) 

Section 25. — 
C. F. Albee, 80 acres; J. Shumway, 80 acres; H. Hannebuth, 
80 acres, O. E. Olsgaard Jr., 120 acres; L. Albee, 120 acres; 
J. Winkelman, 80 acres; J. McNelly, 80 acres.. 

Section 36.— 
J. Guhl 40; J. Schultze 80; Mrs. A. Sneesby 40; J. Myer 80; 
J. Vreeland 40; A. Hannebuth 80; E. Cook 40; H. Robinson 60; 
Geo. Robinson 80; and J. Guhl other 60 acres. 



90 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND FRAIRI1 

Section 18, Winnebago. — 
Southwest quarter, I. & F. E. Hanson, 161 acres. North, 
and northeast of this quarter, N. Reierson had 80 acres. 
Section 19. — 
H. W. Pease, 81 acres; L. L. Lapham, 18,1 acres; C. Kruger„ 
120 acres; J. H. Schoh, 40 acres (the most northeast forty of this 
section); H. Weibke, 61 acres. Southeast quarter, J. H. Schoh, 
160 acres. The deduction of twenty acres from Weibke'S eighty, 
forms the south part of the Lapham farm, and existed that way 
before Going fenced and broke the diminished eighty. 
Section 30. — 
}. H. Franzen, 80 acres, ridge land; H. Weibke, a forty next 
west of the last; C. F. Albee, 40 acres; Geo. Cass, 74 acres; J. M. 
Schutte, 120 acres; E. D. Carsten, 41 acres; Wm. Cass, 74 acres; 
R. E. Shumway, 40 acres; D. Metcalf. 100 acres, and C. Flessa, 
34 acres. (This section was rather irregularly divided.) 
Section SI.— 

In this section names of owners are here listed across the north 
half from east to west, and in reverse order for the south half. 
Carsten Estate, the most northeastern forty; E. Ruhe 40 acres 
next south of the last; D. Metcalf, 80 acres, formerly the Fred 
Ruhe place; C. Flessa, 80 acres; H. F. Kohlmeier, 80 acres. In 
the south half of the section the owners were J. Deters, L. Ker- 
shen, L. Linde and W. Schopper, each eighty acres. 

Rev. W\ M. Bowdish having now been two years on 
the Caledonia Circuit, was assigned by the conference 
to a charge in Fillmore County and an elderly clergy- 
man named W. A. Miles came in his place. During the 
ministry of Bowdish and Miles two presiding-elders 
named McKinley and Chaffee held quarterly meetings in 
the church at different times. Ilev. McKinley had vis- 
ited the community twenty years earlier, in settlement 
days, when services were held in houses- 



PORTLAND PRAIRIE IN THE SEVENTIE8 91 

Some of the ministers wl-o preached on the circuit 
prior to 1880, were elderly men who had received their 
education many years previously, and apparently were 
unaware of some changes of opinion in regard to cer- 
tain subjects that had been in progress among the ed- 
ucated classes sinee the close of the war. There were 
not lacking those who denounced the reading of news- 
papers, placing the practise nearly on a par with novel 
reading and card-playing, and it should be remembered 
that in those days the prairie people saw no daily papers. 
Of course such admonitions had little effect. The same 
class of ministers, or some few of them, held to the 
'"short chronology of the earth" and universality of the 
deluge with all that such views imply, not being well 
enough educated to be able to discern how untenable 
sucli views were.* Although practically extinct in cities, 
large towns and educational renteus, many such clerical 



• 8ome copies of the "Northwestern Christian Advocate," an organ 
of the M. E. Church, were taken at the prairie in the sixties and sev- 
enties. This publication, commenting on Darwin's centennary, had 
this to say in its issue of Feb. 10, 1909:— "Dr.'.Chalmers, in his astron- 
omical discourses, had pointed the way for a sane theology in ap- 
proaching science, but his way was narrow and steep. The multitude 
followed leaders like Bisl op Wilberforce and tried to shout Lyell 
and Darwin and Wallace down. As Augustine foresaw and foretold. 
*ney made themselves a 'laughing-stock,' not because of their be- 
liefs, but because they were ignorant alike of the developments of 
theology and of the observations and reasoning of scientific men. 
One of the chief and most valuable results of Mr. Darwin's book has 
been the displacement of this noisy company by saner theologians. 
No theologian of repute would display to-day the ignorance of geol- 
ogy and biology so disgracefully common in 1859." 

And the Advocate might also have added "to some extent in 1879" 
We may observe here the saying that what appears heretical to one 
generation becomes orthodox to the next, according to a psycholog- 
ical law that engenders progressive variation of opinion. 



02 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND fRlIRft 

fossils still survived amidst agricultural populations? 
and regarded such topics as Evolution, the Antiquity of 
Man and even Geology as a species of scientific infidel- 
ity, which, with the Ingersolism of that time ought to be 
kept from the knowledge of church people, especially 
the yoUnger members. 

The foregoing remarks are preliminary to the narra- 
tion of the discussion in the community during the 
spring and summer of 1879 of topics which previously 
had but little or never engaged the attention of the 
prairie people. For a designation, these discussions may 1 
be referred to as "Scientific Infidelity (hypotheses of 
recent science), Atheism and Ingersollism," all of which 
by August became merged into another topic, viz: "The 
Mamline versus the State university." It will take 
some space to narrate how these discussions arose, how 
they were kept going at intervals and how at last mat- 
ters were in a measure righted. These things were as 
much a part of the local history of the prairie for the 
year 1879 as were the ball games, etc., for 1875. 

In the first place the nation at large was entering 
upon an intellectual transitional stage, concerning which 
the next generation could see that old beliefs were tbert 
in process of disintegration. At such times reflex in- 
fluences penetrate country communities through the' 
medium of printed matter, nevertheless agricultural 
communities are apt to cling to certain views long after 
their abandonment in educational centers. There are* 
apt to be individuals in these communities, less obtuse,* 
but who have often been constrained to silence owing to 
their knowledge that the majority about them hold othe* 
opinions of have not been appreciatively educated. 



PORTLAND PRAIRIE IN THE SEVENTIE8 9<* 

We did not hear the discussions themselves, but heard 
of them instead, so we cannot say as to how far the 
different questions were mistakenly confounded together 
as one and the same thing. Even between atheism 
and Ingersolhsra an educated person would draw a line 
of distinction; the first needs no definition; the other 
was what is now called agnosticism. Among the class 
of clergymen referred to, infidelity in science, in contra- 
distinction to "true science," was merely any conclusion 
or hypothesis of scientific men that in general did not 
accord with a literal interpretation of the first ten chap- 
ters of Genesis. Of course the majority of Methodist 
clergymen and church people admitted the geological 
antiquity of the earth, this having then been taught in 
the higher institutions of learning for over forty years. 

During the preceding fall and winter the writer con- 
tributed to a Caledonia paper some articles on geolog- 
ical science, prehistoric man, etc., though nothing was 
written on the evolutionary doctrine. Rev. Miles derid- 
ed geology in the pulpit as a false science and further 
talked that way in some of the houses. Some of the 
church people admitted that they did not co-incide with 
him in his attitude respecting physical science; geology, 
they knew, was a firmly established science. There 
was nothing in the articles mentioned, as we recall them, 
but what is now taught in school books or admitted in 
Biblical encyclopaedias.* 

* Hastings' Biblical Dictionary, a standard work ; art. "Deluge," 
makes this concession: "That the writers and compilers of Genesis 
sincerely believed the story we need have no doubt, but in the light 
of scientific and historical criticism it must be frankly recognized as 
one of those many stories or legends which are found in the folk-lore 
$ind early literature of all peoples." 



94 QLP TIMES ON PORTLAND ERAJRIB 

But more than any influence the aforesaid articles, 
could have exercised, was Rev. Miles frequent attacks 
upon a noted skeptic and lecturer, who, about that time, 
was attaining national reputation, and of no favorable 
kind. The clergy who so freely attacked Ingersollism 
all over the country, failed to see that they were stim : 
ulating public curiosity in regard to the views and pub- 
lished writings of the man and advertising the same to 
all the young people within hearing. And it was the 
same with the scientific doctrine of Evolution, which 
Rev. Miles denounced in almost every sermon. Some 
of the young people of the community began to express 
a desire to read works on popularized science. 

Next came the "university question." At that time 
the Methodist denomination were building a university 
between St. Paul and Minneapolis, and raising funds, to 
carry on the work. The two oldest sons of J. Shumway 
had of late been attending the state university, a fact 
that stood to their credit, but were now at home for the 
summer vacation. On his way home, H. P. Shumway 
had gone with a fellow student to stop with him a few 
days in Chatfield; while there a certain Dr. Stafford 
came and deliyered a lecture for the benefit of Hamlina 
university. Arriving home, H. P. Shumway reported 
that the lecturer mentioned had grossly misrepresented 
conditions at the state university, and that in his opin- 
ion the said lecturer was not a fit person to be entrusted 
with any such mission. It was expected that a lecturer 
would come to Caledonia, and perhaps Portland Prairie 
also, hence a local interest began to be manifested. 

Rev. Miles drove down from Caledonia and preached, 
in the church each alternate Sunday. On intervening- 



POKTLAND EKAISIE IN THE SEVENTIES 9& 

Sundays that summer Dr. Ambler was in the habit of 
driving up from New Albin and supplying the pulpit. 
Neither of these preachers publicly attacked the state 
university from the pulpit, but in priyate conversation 
in houses they characterized the institution as a "hotbed 
of. infidelity." Fur some time John Albee had taken to 
the practise of medicine, and was spoken of as "Dr. 
John." lie had opportunities to talk with both parties, 
also frequently with H. P. Shumway, who knew more 
about the state university from personal observation 
than the two preachers did. In his calls at houses Dr. 
Albee was inclined to defend the state university and 
helped to intensify local interest. Unprejudiced persons 
began to think that a spirit of rivalry was being devel- 
oped and that a certain class of Methodist ministers 
were interested in creating a prejudice against the state 
institution so as to deter church people of their denom- 
ination from sending their sons there. 

One Sunday in August, Kev. H. C. Jennings drove 
down from Caledonia in company with Kev. Miles. He 
was to lecture in the church for the benefit of Hamline 
university and as the people had received previous notice 
that he was to come that day, a larger congregation 
than usual filled the church, all curious to know how a 
trite subject would be handled. But Mr. Jennings was 
well known to the people and there was a general ex- 
pectation that the topic would be judiciously dealt with. 
The meeting was the same as the usual church service, 
the lecture corresponding with ine sermon. Mr. Jen- 
nings spoke of the necessity of an education, religious 
as well as secular. Speaking of the non-religious char- 
acter of state institutions, he said, "This is just as \t, 



96 OL& TIMES ON PORTLAND PfiAIRfB 

ought to be. The state has do right to teach any form 
of religion in its schools." And he gave reasons. The 
Christian body had become so divided into sects, alt 
differing in forms of worship and doctrine, that no pub- 
lic educational institution could be placed in charge 
of any one of them without exciting the jealousy and 
dissatisfaction of the others. To avoid endless content 
tion and controversy there was no resource other than to 
keep religion out of the public schools. Yet any denom- 
ination that could maintain them, had a right to build 
colleges, if they chose. Although Mr. Jennings ranged 
rather widely over educational topics, no word of denun- 
ciation of the state university came from him. In re* 
gard to the late discussions in the community, he said 
that he would have no controversy with any one over 
such topics. On the whole, Mr. Jennings treated his 
subject with a broad-minded liberality, calculated to 
satisfy all present. Although the times were getting 
hard locally, a considerable sum of money was raised at 
the prairie for the benefit of Hamline uniyersity. 

Late in the fall Rev. Miles, having been only one year 
at Caledonia, was succeeded by Rev. A. P. Bunce, a 
young man, who remained three years on the circuit. 
He was born in Columbia County, Wis., in 1855 and 
evidently had attended some theological college. He 
represented a transition type from an old school of the 
Methodist preacher to one that is decidedly new. Those 
topics that his predecessor denounced, he either let alone" 
or voiced opposite views. Thus, he said in the pulpit: 
"Somehow or other we believe in these things; we be- 
lieve that there has been a deluge; we believe in prehis- 
toric man. There are many sound theologians at the 



PORTLAND PBAIRIE IN THE SEVENTIES 9? 

present day who believe that Adam was the first man; 
but from what I have been able to gather on that subject 
I have about reached the conclusion that he was not." 
Rev. Miles doubtless would have deemed this partial 
acceptance of the theory of pre- Adamite races peculiar, 
if not absolutely heretical. Such in general, is a brief 
history of an intellectual phase of life that caused much 
discussion ou Portland Prairie during part of the year 
1879. Questions of that nature occasionally penetrate 
country communities from outside sources. 

During the "university" discussion a matter of more 
importance was engaging at times the thoughtful atten- 
tion of the farmers. In 1878 there was scorching hot 
weather sometime before harvest that injured the wheat 
so that there was hardly more than half a crop. In 1879 
the farmers said that the wheat crop of that year was 
"little better than chicken-feed," It now became ap- 
parent that a climatic change had ensued in that part of 
the country, and that one of two things would have to 
be done, either go more into stock-raising, with an im- 
provement of breeds, or emigrate to Dakota, then at- 
tracting attention as a new wheat-raising country. 

During the same summer and fall a narrow-gauge 
railroad was built from a junction on the river line at 
the mouth of Crooked creek, through Caledonia, Spring 
Grove and other places, to Preston, having a length of 
59 miles. Twelve miles of road-bed for a three feet 
track was graded in Crooked Creek valley by Caledonia 
enterprise in 1874, but nothing more was done with the 
project for about five years. Then the C. D. & M. com- 
pany took hold of the line and extended it to Preston. 
The track-laying, with light rails, began in the latter 



98 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRfB 

part of August and as the line was extended up the 
valley, two construction trains were used to bring for- 
ward from the junction loads of rails, ties and bridge 
timbers.* Locomotives and cars were proportionally 



* When the track was being laid up the ravine just below Caledo 
nia, a tie train came up behind the rail train and a gang of workmen 
hurriedly tumbled the ties out of the cars. 8ome twenty men Of 
Caledonia and surrounding country, who had been watching the 
track-laying and spiking gangs, had permission to ride down to the 
junction on the tops of the cars. This was the afternoon of Sept. 24. 
The last two miles of track, that first laid, was ballasted and even, 
and curved around amid some small hills. Over this the returning 
train was run at a rapid rate. At the junction another loaded train 
was ready and after a short stay there the locomotive coupled to it 
and the return trip was made, the engine pushing the cars ahead of it. 

The next day, a fine one, while the track was being laid through 
the village, much the same party of men made another trip to the 
junction on one of the construction trains. The locomotives were 
coal-burners, but coal not being obtainable at the junction just then, 
cord-wood was used for fuel, the furnaces being long enough to take 
in the wood without sawing. On th? return trip that afternoon, the 
train was made up of box cars and platform cars, the latter loaded 
with bridge timbers to be sent by team miles ahead of the track-lay ■< 
ers. When about two miles above Freeburg it was seen that the train 
was slowing down and at last it came to a stand still opposite a place 
near the creek where there was a large amount of dry driftwood. 
The crowd helped collect enough to refill the tender, the long stuff 
being chopped up with an axe. The furnace was at once stuffed full 
and about half an hour was spent there in raising steam. Then a run 
was made up the valley to a point a half mile below the mouth oi the 
Caledonia ravine. Here another stop was made, as assistance wa& 
needed to pull and push the long train up the grade in the ravine, 
and signals were sounded for the enerineof the rail train at Caledonia 
to come down. In about half an hour it came and coupled on to the 
forward end of the train. With this pulling and the oth^.r pushing, 
the train mounted over halfway up the grade; then a stop was made 
to get up more steam for the final effort. This time the train halted 
in the village in the edge of evening, a crowd, mainly school child- 
ren, lining the north side of the track near the town line to see it pass, 
the engines puflBng heavily. The end of the track was then a little 
beyond the depot, this building being nearly finished at that time, 



PORTLAND PKAIRIE IN THE SEVENTIES 9& 

smaller than the standard, as the track was less wide. 
The ties were carried in box cars and unloaded back 
some distance behind the forward construction train 
which closely followed the track-laying gang to keep 
them supplied with rails unloaded from platform cars. 
The ties were carried forward beyond the track-layers 
with horse teams, another gang of laborers laying them 
on the road-bed. Each succeeding train load of ties 
was thrown off the cars a considerable distance beyond 
where the last had been unloaded. The rails were taken 
forward on a light truck-car pulled by a horse, but only 
short distances, since the rail train kept moving after 
the track-layers at intervals. The track reached Cal- 
edonia September 25; Spring Grove, October 13, and 
Preston sometime in December. 

In a week or more after the track reached Caledonia, 
a passenger coach, stock-cars, etc., were brought on the 
road and it was opened to ordinary traffic to that point, 
presumably partially in conjunction with the running of 
construction trains further along the line. This line 
opened a nearer railroad market for Portland Prairie 
than that at New Albin. In October a large number of 
bogs raised at the prairie, were marketed at Caledonia. 
At Caledonia Junction (Reno) the stock had to be trans- 
ferred to standard-gauge cars, and in fact, all kinds of 
freight had to be reloaded there. In the fall of 1901 
the track was altered to the standard-gauge. 

With the end of the old phase of life on the prairie 
there was some outgoing of some of the farmers. The 
Kelly family left for Nebraska about 1878; Christian 
Flessa later moved to Kansas, and John Sinclair left for 
Nebraska. In the spring of 1880 E. C. Arnold and son 



100 OLD 1*1 MES OS PCmTLANI) PKJfclRlS 

B. F. Arnold, accompanied by H. V. Arnold and Fre$ 
A. Wright, left for Grand Forks County, in North Da- 
kota, the entire journey being made with ox teams. 
About the same time James Emerson and family em- 
igrated to South Dakota, C. F. Wright buying his place, 
In the earlier part of the eighties following, Houston 
County lost heavily in population. Containing an area 
of only 568 square miles, largely ridge,' valley and ravine 
lands, it had a population of 16,566 in 1875, decreased 
to 14,653 souls in 1890. 

The first few years after the cessation of the raising 
of spring wheat was a transition stage which gradually 
opened up more prosperous conditions than the older 
times had ever produced. First came creamaries in that 
section of country, followed by an increase of the number 
of hogs and cattle raised, with attention to good breeds 
of th& same, and a more careful looking after the land. 
Then came the big red barns, drilled wells and wind- 
mills on farms that did not have them before. In many- 
instances more substantial houses were built and others 
more or less remodeled. In the middle nineties the tel- 
ephone came into the community, and later the rural 
mail delivery, with the possibility of taking some city 
daily paper. As for organs, some families had begun 
to possess them in the seventies. At last children began 
growing up in the community to whom the hardships 
and privations their grandparents had experienced iri 
the old days, were only family traditions. The old times 
of Portland Prairie ended with the wheat-raising days. 



NOTES AND FAMILY RECORDS. 



Duck creek, p. 14, should read Archie creek. This is a small 
streamlet in a ravine south of the Robinson place. The Duck 
creek ravine is a mile farther west. The first opens into Waterloo 
creek valley just below, the other above Dorchester. 

A matter in which the larger young people were interested was 
overlooked in its place. In the early summer of 1864 they got 
up an entertainment which was held in an unfinished church 
south of where Eitzen was afterwards built up. We think it was 
also held on another evening at the (old) McNelly school house. 
The first public school house Christmas-tree gathering that the 
writer remembers at Portland Prairie, was about 1 866 or '67. 
On a few occasions some kind of entertainment was held in con- 
nection with these gatherings. 

Page 39. The distant sound of a cannon heard in the direction 
of Decorah.— On reflection, we think this was rather celebrating 
the news of the surrender of Lee's army instead of the fall of 
Richmond. People realized that both events ended the war. 
Frank Cook, p. 44, should read Daniel Cook. 
The name of August Hannebuth should have been added to the 
soldiers' list on p. 47- He served in an Illinois regiment. 

Page 63. On account of the sickness and expected death of 
Wesley Albee the prairie people probably gave up holding any 
picnic on July 4, 1868. 

Page 67. Tn the middle sixties W. R. Ballou lived part of the 
time at Lansing and Village Creek. 



102 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIB 

Notes on Points Subsequent To 1880. 

Other Removals. — In the spring of 1881 J. Shumway and fam* 
ily moved to Nebraska.. — Frank Healy moved to South Dakota 
about that time. — August Guhl sold his place in 1882 and went to 
Nebraska. — Mrs. Anne Sneesby moved to South Dakota about 
1883.— David Matcalf moved to Nebraska about 1891.— H. W. 
Pease sold out and went to South Dakota in 1893. — The same 
year Geos Carver moved to Lansing and Samuel Evans sold out 
and moved to Nebraska about that time. 

Geo. Cass rented his farm in 1889 to practise medicine, and 
some ten years later he moved to Caledonia. 

Some young men of the prairie formed a brass band in 189O 
and built a band-house of common lumber in the grove at the 
southeast corner of the G. M. Watson place. 

The telephone was introduced into the community in 1896, the 
central being at the old Cass place. Some years later it was 
moved to R. E. Shumway's house. In 1902 another line was 
brought into the community. In the fall of 1910 the Northwest- 
ern Telephone Company carried a long distance line across Port- 
land Prairie, following the main road. — The rural delivery of 
mail dates from the fall of 1901. 

New barns were built in 1897 on the Con. Metcalf, Lapham ( 
Weibke and Widow Robinson places. Barn built on the Alice 
Albee place in 1905; also one on the Alfred Albee place next 
south, in 1907. Most all the farms had drilled wells and wind- 
mills prior to 1900. 

The present R. E. Shumway house was built in 1891; the one 
on the Bernard Schoh place about 1896; the G. M. Watson, once 
the A. Arnold place, rebuilt over and much enlarged in 1897; 
a oew house on the Kohlmeier place in 1900, and one on the 
Theodore Thiele place in 1902. We have given above such data 
in regard to buildings as we chance to have in hand. 



NOTES AND FAMILY RECORDS 108 

Another plat-book of Houston County was published 
in 1896. Again taking the same sections in Wilmington 
and Winnebago townships as hitherto given on pages 
75-76 and 89-90, it will be seen that a number of changes 
in ownership of the land had ensued since 1878. Some 
remarks will be appended, mostly in relation to changes 
later than 1896. 

Section 13, Wilmington. — South half only. East quarter, 
C. Bunge, 40 acres; Carl Busitzke, 50 acres; Ole A. Moen, 70 
acres. West quarter, Isabelle Hartley, 60 acres; H. Schroedar, 
100 acres. (The Seams Nelson place of 180 acres had gone into 
C. Bunge's possession; the E. C. Arnold place was now owned by 
C. Busitzke together with the Pease farm. The last two are now 
owned by W. F. Deters. The diminished Hartley place is now 
owned by Herbert Lapham who went on to it in 1897.) 

Section 24. — Geo. M. Watson, 200 acres; C. Metcalf, 196 
acres; C. F. Wright, 80 acres including roads; Fred Thiese, 80 
acres; G. H. Meyer, 40 acres; C, Stigen, 40 acres. (G. M. Watson 
had bought the C. F. Albee forty in 1890, and not long before that 
had acquired by purchase the A. Arnold farm. After the death 
of the owner in 1899, lne ^ on « Metcalf place became divided up. 
Lewis Haar who lives at the former Kelly place, has the ridge 
part; Herman Schoh the southwest part including farm buildings; 
and Wm. Bramme 70 acres on the east side, and has a house 
under the ridge. The Wright estate is occupied by Mrs. Wright, 
a second wife of the late C. F. Wright. Fred Thiese moved over 
to Eitzen about 1900 and a son Frank now has the place. The 
Stigen farm, in two sections, was once the Frank Healy place.) 

Section 25. — C. F. Albee, 80 acres; Alfred Albee, 80 acres; 
Geo. H. Meyer, 40 acres; a forty next west, no record; Jacob 
Evenson, 42 acres; O. E. Olsgard, 41 acres; W. E. McNelly, 26 
acres, Geo. W. Metcalf, 13 acres; L. Albee, no acres; Joseph 
Winkelman, 80 acres; John McNelly, 80 acres. (C. F. Albee 



104 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

died in 1898 and Mrs. Albee in 1.909, so that Miss Alice Albe^ 
now has the farm. The Alfred Albee place is the eighty once 
owned by J. Shumway and prior to 1870 was the south half of 
C F. Albee's quarter-section. Geo. W. Metcalf had W. R. 
Ballou build him a house several rods west of the Leonard Albee 
house in 1881 and got land to go with it, but in December, 1901, 
he moved to a farm one mile west of Caledonia. The small tract 
and L. Albee place is now owned by Fred Deters.) 

Section 36. — H. F. Kohlmeier, 40 acres; Katherine Schultze 
120 acres; Jurgen Meyers, 80 acres; Katherine Schultze, 40 acres; 
Henry Mowinkel, 40 acres; Geo. Meyers, 40 acres; Elisha Cook, 
40 acres; Geo. Robinson estate, 80 acres; Henry Robinson, 60 
acres; Jurgen Guhl, 60 acres; Geo. Deters, 36 acres. (Geo. Rob- 
inson was killed on the evening of November 14, 189 1 by the up- 
setting of a load of lumber to the east of Eitzen, while returning 
from New Albin on the ridge road. He left two twin boys, born 
February 21, 1876. Geo. H. Meyers now owns the place. Henry 
Robinson is still on his place which he has occupied for fifty years. 
The Elisha Cook forty is owned by a son, Wm. Cook ) 

Section 18, Winnebago. — South half only. East quarter 
Martin P. Twite (now owned by Mrs. Halter); west quarter, 
about 162 acres, Martin & Carl Hanson. 

Section 19. — J. H. Schoh, 49 acres; Chris. Kruger, 120 
acres; L. L. Lapham, 181 acres; Carl Busitzke (now W. F. De- 
ters) 81 acres; J. H. Schoh (now Carl Schoh) 160 acres; Henry 
Weibke, 61 acres. 

tec 

Section 30. — Diedrick Thiele,-*90 acres; Henry Weibke, 40 
acres; C. F. Albee, 40 acres; Geo. Cass (now Fred Deters) 74 acres; 
F. Deters, 159 acres; E. D. Carsten, 40 acres; Mrs. C. F. Wright, 
20 acres (part of the former Metcalf farm;) R. E. Shumway. 

Section 31. — E. D. Carsten, 40 acres; Frank Deters, 40 
acres; Fred Deters, 120 acres; H. F. Kohlmeier, 80 acres; Ger- 
hardt Deters, 160 acres; Lambert Linde, 120 acres; Henry Schap- 
per, 80 acres. (Kohlmeier's place is now owned by Otto Fruchte.) 



NOTES AND FAMILY RECOKDS 



105 



Over along the west road several good houses and barns have 
replaced the inferior ones of earlier times. The Arnold Stone 
quarter-section was so far divided up and partly attached to ad- 
joining places, that four different persons own the land now. 

Going down the west road, places come in the following order: 
Chris. Stigen, Geo. H. Meyer, Gustav Moitrodt, Bernard Schoh, 
Theodore Thiele, Wm. E. McNelly and August Weigrafe. 

W. E. McNelly bought the Hannebuth place in 1883 and went 
on his present place in 1892. 

The publisher has received a letter from Mrs. J. B. Williams of 
Woonsocket, R. L, in answer to an inquiry concerning dates in 
regard to the family of Dr. Alex. Batcheller, to be included in 
such family records as we have been able to obtain. Mrs. Wil- 
liams writes interestingly of her early recollections at Portland 

Prairie: — 

"I can give you some dates with a few incidents that I can call 
to mind. We landed at Lansing October 17, 1854 and our fam- 
ily went from there to Portland Prairie the same day. I do not 
remember all of the families that had left for the west a head of 
us, but think Charles Albee, Jerry Shumway and Duty and James 
Paine did so. We went to Charles Al bee's for a few days and 
then we got board with Asa Sherman. His sister and her hus- 
band, David Salisbury, were keeping the house. There we stayed 
until father could build the ell part that now stands on the John 
McNelly house. The Indians (Winnebagoes) often came to the 
house bringing venison and wild game. Herds of deer would 
stop at our gate, and at night the wolves would howl and bark, 
so mother wanted board blinds on the house, for she was afraid 
that they would break in. 

"I think that John G. Cook and Elisha Cook came in the spring 
of 1855. My mother hired John's daughter, Mary Ann, to teach 
the children of our family in the house, but I do not remember 
whether any other children came or not. I think that it was on 
the following Fourth of July that the families around Portland 



106 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

Prairie held a picnic. My father was county commissioner anc 
often went to Caledonia where business was done in those days. 
We kept the postoffice in our house, father being postmaster. I 
presume Mary Ann Cook kept the first school in the little school 
house just east of our place, called the Batcheller school house. 
When we moved to Iowa, father sold to John McNelly." 



We now proceed to give some family records of both 
present and former residents of Portland Prairie. Some 
were not in hand at the time that the first half of this 
book was printed. We do not propose to include data 
concerning children of sons and daughters of the early 
settlers where these, after marriage, haye since resided 
outside the county or state. Of course the number of 
families here listed might have been somewhat extended 
over and above those concerning whom some records 
have been obtained. The main object, however, has 
been to present the family records of births, deaths and 
marriages of those identified with Portland Prairie at 
any time prior to 1880, especially the old families. 

Robinson Family. 

James Robinson, born in Ireland 1797; died 1841. 

Mrs. Rose Robinson, born in Ireland 1 804; died Oct. 19, 1890. 

Children: 

William, born April 1, 1829; died November 20, 1872. 

Henry, born March 15, 1831. 

Anne, born May I, 1835. 

George, born , 1837; died November 14, 1891. 

Esther, born January I, 1839; died September 14, 1901. 

John T., born February 2, 1842. 

Minnie Robinson, daughter of William, was born March fj 
r866; married George H. Lapham November 27, 1889. 



NOTES AND FAMILY RECORDS 10? 

Everett Family. 

Josiah Everett, born May 23, 17975 died October 20, 1875. 
Lucy Everett, born February 2, 1801; died November 9, 1896. 
Children: 

Orra, born January 29, 1823; died , 1902. 

Josiah 2d, died in infancy. 

Josiah 3d, born March 25, 1827; died about 27 years ago. 

Andrew, born March 18, 1829. 

Franklin, born December 12, 1 83 1. 

Lucy, born May 22, 1836. 

Benaiah, born August 22, 1839. 

Seth, born June 3, 1842; died October 31, 186$. 

The Everetts left Portland Prairie for Nebraska, March IO, 
1868. Franklin Everett had several children, all but one born 
when he lived on the Iowa side of the state line, to-wit: Fremont, 
born December 16, 1855; Walter, born April 12, 1858; E . . . B., 
born January 13, 1 865; Clara Ethel, born November 4, 1870. 
Fremont Everett was married by Rev. W. M. Bbwdish in the 
church at Portland Prairie on the evening of July 3, 1877 to Miss 
Mary Evelyn Shumway, and the couple were of the party that next 
day went to the Fourth of July gathering on the Iowa river, (pp. 
86-7).— Mrs. Franklin Everett, b. June 10, 1834; d. Aug. 10, 1911. 

Family of Charles F. Albee. 

Charles F. Albee, born February I, 1822; died Dec. 26, 1898. 
Mrs. Sarah (Paine) Albee< born August 8, 1825; d. Aug. 2r, 1909; 

Married, April 22, 1847. 
Children: 

Edgar, born October 24, 1848; died June 4, 1866. 

Emily, born December 26, 1853. 

Alice, born December 13, 1857. 

Maria, born December 20, 1859. 

Alfred, born July 22, 1862. 

Olive, born April 29, 1864. 



108 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND FRAIEIE 

Family of Jeremiah Shumway. 

Jeremiah Sbumway, born in Oxford Mass., October i£, 1827. 
Mary (Paine) Shumway, born July 28, 1832; died Aug. 19, 1898;. 

Married July 24, 1852. 
Children: 

Viola P., born June 28, 1853, 

Herbert P., born April 18, 1856. 

Mary Evelyn, born September 10, 1858. 

Edgar E., born January 27, 1862. 

Charles O., born January 25, 1864. 

George Loren, born October 17, 1868. 

Joseph Arthur, born December 8, 1870; died Feb. 28, 1873. 

Martin LeRoy, born December 25, 1874. 

Family of Dr. Alex. Batcheller. 

Dr. Alex. Batcheller, born December 2, 181 1 ; d. Sept. 29, 1878. 
xMrs. Kezia (Wallin) Batcheller, b. Feb. 6, 1815; d. Dec. 9, 1898. 
Children: 

Francis L., born April I, 1836; died February 23, 1900. 

Victoria E., born March 8, 1842; died December 29, 1866. 

Alexander F., born May 4, 1847; died January 28, 1911. 

Lucy D., born October 18, 1848. 

Martha W., born May 23, 1850. 

Moses F., born January 3, 1853. 

Stephen E., born May 29, 1858. 

All of the members of the Batcheller family married except 
Francis. Alexander F. married first, Adelaide Marcy; after her 
death he married second, Mary Ballou, all having been at one 
time Portland Prairie residents. Lucy D., married John B. Wil- 
liams of Woonsocket, R. L, September 27, 1899. 



Dr. George J. Cass, born September 12, 1847. Married 
Ellen L. Healy January 8, 1870. She was born February 28, 
1845. Children, all born at Portland Prairie, Lewis Elwin* 
Ellen Mabel and Harriet H- 



NOTES AND FAMILY RECORDS 



10# 



Family of Jokri McNeLly. 

John McNelly, born March 25, 1830. 

Married first, Nancy Shumway, February 15, 1852; born Dec. 

1, 1839; died September 9, 1868. Married second, AHda 

Henderson November 11, 1869; born in Wyoming Co., N. Y., 

September 14, 1848; died Auguit n, 1891. Married third; 

Charlotte Cass October 25, 1893; died February 14, 1894. 
Children by first wife: 

Ella E., born October 25, 1852. 

Oscar, bom June 7, 1854; died August 7, 1863. 

William E., born December 20, 1857. 

Mary P., born September li, 1859; died September 16, 1859. 

Elizabeth M., born November 36, i860; died August 23, 1863, 

Annie M., born September 9, 1862. 

Nancy Etta, born June 22, 1868. 
Children by second wife: 

John H., born September 9, 1876. 

Eugenia A., born June 6, 1879. 

Mabel E., born January I, 1885. 

Robert, born January 26, 189 1. 

Family of Rufus E. Shumway. 

Rufus E. Shumway, born in Oxford, Mass., June I, 1833. 
Hannah (Metcalf) Shumway, b. Mendon Mass., April 25, 1834. 

Married March 4, i860. 
Children: 

Adeha F., born December 18, i860; died October 21, 1870. 

Frederick L., born August 10, 1862. 

William C, born June 16, 1869; died July 31, 1875. 

Edwin R., born October 13, 1871. 

Bertha E., born October 5, 1873. 

On June 7, 1910, Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Shumway observed their 
golden wedding. Many relatives and friends from Nebraska and 
even more distant locations were present at this pleasureable 
gathering, and photographs of the assemblage were taken. 



110 OLD TIMES O* PORTLAND ER^IRIE 

Family of vVilliam Cass. 

William Cass, born March 2. 1809; died December 8, 1883. 

Mrs. Sarah W. (Sturdy) Cass, b. May 4, 1819; d. March 6, 189$. 

Married March 27, 1839. 
Children: 

Charlotte, born May 27, 1842; died February 14, 1894. 

George J., born September 12, 1847. 

Adelaide, born ..,...., 18 . . 

William, born September 15, 1853. 

Charlo te became the third wife of John McNelly; George J., 
(p. 108); Adelaide married Henry Eddy about 1869; and William 
Jr. married Viola P. Shumway in the fall of 1875. 

Family of Levi L. Lapham. 

Levi L. Lapham, born in Burrillville, R. I , April II, 1829.^ 2"<vn^ )'^ 
Mrs. Sarah (Cargill) Lapham, b. May 28, 1834; d. April 24, 1911. 

Married January 13, 1857. 
Children: 

Fanny, born January 8, 186 1. 

Cora, born April 20, 1863. 

George H-, born April 13, 1866. 

Herbert L., born August 13, 1869. 

Family of Charles F. Wright. 

Charles F. Wright, born October 7, 183 1 ; died Jan. 6, 1907. 

Married first, October 7, 1856, Mary Metcalf, born June 13? 

1832; died November 15, 1891. Married second, in 189*1 

Mrs. Alice (Bushee) Griswold. Children all by first wife. 
Children: 

Samantha, born June 14, 1857; died February 9, 1890. 

Frederick A., born March 2, 1862. 

Charles, born February 24, 1864. 

Arthur L., born February 25, 1874. 



tfOTES AND TAMIL* RECORDS 111 



Family of Arnold Stone. 



Arnold Stone, born May 25, 1821; died June 6, 1900. 

Philinda (Aldrich) Stone, born May 23, 1824; died Oct. 6, 1885. 

Married November 13, 1844. 
Children: 

Marcus M., born August 28, 1846. 

Ellen F,, born April 6, 1848; died February 25, 1904. 

Jane M., born July 6, 1849. 

Phebe E., born August 17, 1853. 

John G., born February 21, 1857. 

Emeline A., born July 10, 1859. 

Adelaide E., born March 29, 1862. 

Louis N., born April 30, 1865; died July 27, 1869. 

Cora E., born July 22, 1871; died March 22, 1872. 

Family of Frederick Theisk. 

Frederick Theise, born in Hanover, Germany, June 19, 1836. 
Mrs. Christina (Ritmuller) Theise, born May 12, 1838. 
Children: 

Louisa, born May II, 1859. 

Mary, born October 27, i860. 

Sophia, born July 27, 1862. 

Henry, born February 12, 1864. 

Christina, born May 31, 1866. 

Frank, born May 14, 1868. 

Emily, born April 22, 1870. 

Herman, born May 12, 1872. 

Caroline, born August 22, 1874: 

Anna, born August 31, 1876. 

Otto, born November 16, 1879. 



George T. Shumway, born October 30, 1840; died about 
1898. Married April 3, 1870 Florence E. Henderson, born Jan- 
uary 27, 1851. Moved to Swift Co., Minn., 1875. Children: 
Harold, Arthur, Agnes, George, Frank and Merlin. 



112 OLD TIMES 09 PORTLAND PRAIRIE 

Family of Wm. Walker Everett. 

William Walker Everett, b. March 23, 1830; k. Dec. 16, 1864. 

Was twice married; married second February 38, 1855 Maria 

Carleton, born January 20, 1839. 
Children by first wife: 

William, born May 13, 1849. 

Thomas, born March 23, 1851. 
Children by second wife: 

Irene, born December 31, 1855. 

Walker, born February 8, 1857. 

George, born September 8, 1859. 

Eliza, born April 5, i860. 

David, born May I, 1862. 

Mrs. Maria Everett married second, January 14, 1875 Joseph 
Winkelman, born in Germany February 13, 1838. Mrs. Winkel- 
man died July 30, 1894. Her mother, Mrs. Carleton, who pass- 
ed the last years of her life in this home, died about March, 1902. 
— Eliza Everett married Albert Hartley sometime in the later 
seventies. The other children scattered to other locations. 

Family of Cornelius Metcalf Jr. 

Cornelius Metcalf Jr. born Sept. 30, 1837; died Jan. 28, 1899. 
Elizabeth (Albee) Metcalf, b 18 . . ; d. Oct. 13, 1903, 

Married March 29, i860. 
Children: 

George W., born April 5, 1861. 

Lucinda, born March 29, 1864; died March 26, 1882. 

Eveline E., born February 20, 1868. 

Mary N., born January 18, 1873; died September 13, 1901. 

Charles W., born January 4, 1877. 



David G. Metcalf, born March 10, 1847; married Florence 
Yeaton in 1869; she was born April 4, 185 1; died May 14, 1877. 
Children: Melvin, b. May 28, 1871; Lowell, b. Feb. 24, i874 
—Later, D. G. Metcalf married a sister of Mrs. J. S. Yeaton. 



NOTES AND FAMILY RECORDS lift 



Family of Henry Wiebke. 



Henry Wiebke, born in Germany February ao, 1848. 

Married twice; first marriage on November 3, 1871; first wif© 

died May 1, 1885. Married second on November 29, 1887. 
Children by first wife: 

Melinda, born September 21, 1872. 

Henry, born October 18, 1873. 

William, born March 20, 1876, 

George, born August 31, 1882. 

Lydia, born October 13, 1884. 
Children by second wife: 

Alma, born September 11, 1888, 

Addie, born March 22, 1891. 

Elsie, born June 27, 1893. 

Leroy, born February 29, 1896. 

Herbert, born December 6, 1899, 

Fremont, born July 23, 1901. 

Family of Ellery C. Arnold* 

Ellery C. Arnold, born in Cumberland, R. I., July 4, 1828. 

Married March 30, 1856 Mrs. Adeline Bowen (nee Steere), born 

January 1, 1828. 
Children: 

Horace F., born June 19, 1857. 

Adeline L., born June 22, i860. 

Emma C, born August 14, 1864. 



James M. Paine, Children of, born at Portland Prairie. By 
first wife, Ruth E. A. (Shumway) Paine :— Martha, born May 27, 
1855; James S., born July 20, 1857; Rufus M., born April 10, 
1859; Amy H., born June II, 1861. By second wife, Nancy 
(Thorp) Paine, born March 6, 1846: — Minerva J. born March 6, 
1865. — Eight children were born after moving to Iowa, who were 
named Edgar A., Sarah A., Charles J., Mary B., Cora P., Walter 
H., Jessie M., and Lula M. 



114 OLD TIMES ON PORTLAND PRAIRIS 

Watson Family. 

George M. Watson, born in Maine April 25, 1839. 

Lucy (Arnold) Watson, born in Burrillville, R. I., June 6, 1846. 

Married December 25, 1866. 
One son, George L. Watson, born October 7, 1879. 

George L. Watson married October 16, 1902, Matilda Johnson. 

of Blooming Prairie, Minn., born August 2, 1879. 
Children: 

Gertrude A., born May 10, 1903. 

Arthur L., born November 30, 1906, 

Family of Pliny Graves. 

Pliny Graves, born in Wisconsin, April 26, 1850. 

Mrs. Ella (McNelly) Graves, b. Burnllyille, R. I., Oct. 25, 1852. 

Married July 1, 1873. " 
Children: 

Chauncey M., born February 7, 1875. 

Walter B., born January 23, 1877. 

John F., born January 7, 1880. 

Oscar T., born April 3, 1884; died March 14, 1899. 

Pliny C, born November 4, 1886. 

Carlyle R., born September 16, 1889. 

Elwood E., born August 13, 1895. 

Norman E., born September 9, 1897. 



Frederick Moitrodt, Children qf 
William, born May 26, 1863. 
Annie, born June 25, 1864. 
Qustav and Otto (twins), born November 10, 1868. 

Leonard Albee, born November 4, 1810; d. March 9, 1893. 
Eliza (Buckman) Albee, born August 8, 1812; d. June 11, 1901. 

Married in 1833. — Two children died in infancy. — Elizabeth, 
born April 3, 1841; died October 13, 1903. J. Wesley, born 
1842; died July 5, 1868. 



IfQTES AND FAMILY EEC0RD8 11^ 

Family of George W. Metcalf. 

George W. Metcalf, born at Portland Prairie, April 5, 1861. 
Mrs. Ida (Purdy) Metcalf, born in Hawley, Pa., July *8, 1S60. 

Married July 3, 1878. 
Children: 

Florence E., born May 6, 1879; died Marck 23, 1898. 

Nellie Ida, born August 20, 1880. 

George W., born August 14, 1882. 

Eva May, born September 14, 1884. 

Sadie L., born May 22, 1888. 

Frances, born September 8, 1891. 

Hiram T., born January 4, 1894. <v 

Cornelius G., born April 13, 1896. ^ 

Blanche H., born September 17, 1897. ^v 

Effie E., born December 31, 1899; died February 23, 1900. 

Leslie W., born September 4, 1901. v( 

Arthur L., born February 10, 1904. 

Eveline E. (Metcalf) Chesler, born February 20, i86§. *^ 
Married on November 12, 1890 William Chesler. r y 

Children: 

Myrtle, born September 23, 1891. 

Grace, born June 20, 1893. 

Archie, born May 6, 1895. /T*» 

Lila, born April 26, 1897. , 

Kenneth, born June 10, 1902. ^ 

Lavina, born August 26, 1905. -^ £ 

Mary N. (Metcalf) Lager, born January 18, 1873; died ^ C^ \ 

September 13, 1901. Married April, 13, 1893 Louis Lager. 

Children: Clarence, born August 15, 1894; Pearl, born October ^ * 1 

28, 1895. <) >^> ? 

Cora (Lapham) Palmer born April 20, 1863. Married August a. fc^J 

28, 1890 L. O. Palmer, of Calenonia, Minn. ^ \ O^ 

Children: Lora B., Francis I., Grace H., Marjorie M., Leland L, 

yUrnri fcWtoly^tJuiLJ}'* -7rf/- a 2Jfc3!kr/x 



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ffr> OLD ffiffES Otf FtfgTtAtfD FfclflKIE 

Family of William E. McNelly. 

William E. McNelly, born at Portland Prairie, Dec, 20, 1857. 
Married first on October 19, 1879 Samantha Wright, born J^ne 
14, 1857; died February 9, 1890. Married second June $ t 
1 89 1 Miss Ratcliffe of Mt. Hope, born July SI, 1867. 

Children by first wife: 

William O., born June 4, 18S1. 

Chester LeRoy, born June 12, 1883. 

Mary Etta, born September 21, 1885. 

Charles E. f born July 31, 1888. 
Children by second wife: 

Frank, born April 5, 1892. 

Irving, born October 1 1, 1903. 

Family of Alfred Albee, 

Alfred Albee, born at Portland Prairie July 22, 1862. 

Mrs. Charlotte G. (Ratcliffe) Albee, born October 23, 1864. 

Married on September 25, 1889. 
Children: 

Charles Benjamin, born January 28, 1 89 1. 

Born and died a son November 6, 1892. 

Alfred Leonard, born August 27, 1894. 

Edgar Jay, born September 22, 1898. 

Ralph Halstead, born November 29, 1900. 

Mabel Carlotta, born May 24, 1903. 

Donald Ratcliffe, born November 4, 1906. 

Family of Frank Theise. 

Frank Theise, born at Portland Prairie May 14, 1868* 

Married Louisa Freuchte, born July 25, 1873. 
Children: 

Lorah, born August 30, 1897. 

Martha, born April 30, 1900. 

Roy, born March 25, 1903. 

Ella, born August 23, 1906. 



NOTES AND FAMILY EECOED8 



tff 



Family of Herbert L. Lapham. 

Herbert L. Lapham, born at Portland Prairie August 13, 1869. 
Mrs. Flora J. (Taylor) Lapham, b. at Popes Prairie July 10, 1870. 

Married October 6, 1892. 
Children: 

Florence J., born October 30, 1893; died June 16, 1894. 

Lola L., born August 1, 1895. 

Grant L., born February 5, 1898. 

Gladys H., born April 7, 1903. 

Bernice, born June 12, 1905. 

Eloise, born October 4, 1907, 

Family of Otto Freuchte. 

Otto Freuchte, born at Portland Prairie May 24, 1868. 

Emily (Theise) Freuchte, born at Portland Prairie, April 22, 1870, 

Married February iS, 1892. 
Children: 

Francis, born December 13, 1893. 

Herbert, born June 22, 1897. 

Edwin, born Norember 5, 1900. 

Lula, born July 20, 1902. 

Raymond, born January 3, 191 1. 



LAST NOTES. 

There were some marriages and deaths relative to former^ 
Portland Prairie residents concerning whom no full dates were 
obtained. Martha Paine married Myron Butterfield late in the 
fall of 1877, ana " m tne spring of 1879 the couple moved to Barnes 
County, N. D. — Amy H. Paine married Melvin Yeaton sometime 
in the early eighties.— Emily Albee married Zelotes M. Yeaton 
sometime in the middle seventies. 

Amos Lapham died at Caledonia early in 1891; William 
Hartley about 189a. Joel S. Yeaton lived about thirty-one years 
after moving to Nebraska (p. 70) for he died in the fall of 1900. 
Christian Bunge of Eitzen died in 1902. William R. Ballou was 
born in 1816 and died at New Albin, February, 1906. Henry F. 
Kohlmeier, another former resident, died in 1910. 

After moving to North Dakota in the spring ol 1880, the 
writer paid visits to Portland Prairie at different times, as follows: 
in November, 1882; in November, 1884; in the fall of 1887; in 
November and December, 1891; in April, 1895; * n December, 
1901, and lastly, during December, 1910. On the occasion of 
the visit in 1891 we arrived at New Albin about 1 oclock p. m., 
Saturday, November 14, and proceeded to the prairie on foot by 
way of the Winnebago Valley and Tippery ravine. Geo. Robin- 
son was in New Albin that afternoon, but never reached home 
alive. Next morning Mrs. C. F. Wright died. These two deaths 
coming so close together caused quite a flurry in the community, 



PORTLAND PRAIRIE NECROLOGY. 



Noah Shumway, born October 4, 1770, died June ao, 1857. 
Parmelia A. Shumway, born July 15, 1800; died Oct. 8, 185%. 
John Cook, died May 25, 1861, aged 94 years. 
M^s. Josephine A. Sherman, died July 2, 1862. 
Oscar McNelly, born June 7, 1854; died August 7, 1863. 
Mrs. Ruth E. A. Paine, born August 4, 1835; d. Sept. 20, 1863. 
Jarvis S. Eddy, died December 10, 1863, aged 17 years 4 mos. 
Mrs. Rachel Coil, wife of Wm. Coil, died Aug, 7, 1865, aged 64. 
Edgar Albee, born October 24, 1848; died June 4, 1866. 
Mrs. Barbara Marcy, died November II, 1867, aged 63 years. 
William H. Stone, died January 31, 1868. 
Wesley Albee, died July 5, 1868, aged about 26 years. 
Mrs. Nancy McNelly, born December 1, 1829; d. Sept. 4, 1868. 
xMargaret Coil, wife of Nelson Coil, died May 8, 1869, aged 52. 
Adelia F. Shumway, born December 18, i860; d. Oct, 21, 1870. 
William Robinson, born April I, 1829; died November 20, 1872. 
William C. Shumway, born June 16, 1869; died July 31, 1875. 
Mrs. Florence Metcalf, born April 4, 185 1, died May 14, 1877. 
Lucinda Metcalf, born March 29, 1864; died March 26, 1882. 
William Cass, born March 2, 1809; died December 8, 1883. 
Mrs. Betsey E. Graves, born May 14, 1812; d. February 7, 1884. 
Mrs. Lucy Arnold, born October 5, 1808, died July 6, 1886. 
Mrs. Philinda Stone, born May 23, 1824; died October 6, 1886. 
Mrs. Maria Cook, died November 12, 1880, aged 62 yrs. 5 mos. 
Freeman Graves, born July 10, 1809; died April 3, 1888. 
Cornelins Metcalf, born December 10, 1806; d. August 12, 1888. 
Mrs. Samantha L. McNelly born June 14, 1857; d. Feb. 9, 1890. 
Mrs. Alida McNelly (2d wife) b. Sept. 14, 1848, d. Aug. II, '91. 
George Robinson, born 1837; died November 14, 1891. 
Mrs. Mary Wright, born June 13, 1832; died November 15, 1891. 
Leonard Albee, born November 4, 1810; died March 9, 1893. 
Mrs. Charlotte McNelly, (3d wife) b. May 27 1842; d. Feb. 14, '94. 



120 PORTLAND PRATR1S NECROLOGY 

Mrs. Maria C. Winkelman, born Jan. 20, 1839; d. July 30, 1894. 
Arcos Arnold, born August 13, 1807; died April 6, 1895. 
Willie A. Hartley, born January I, 1882, died Sept. 6, 1895. 
Maria E. Cook, died October 28, 1895, aged 34 years 9 months. 
Mrs. Isabelle Hartley, born January 8, 1833; died Feb. 7, 1896. 
George W. Carver, born January 24, 1 814; died Feb. 20, 1897. 
Mrs. Mary Shumway, died at Lyons, Neb., Aug. 16, 1898, 66. 
Charles F. Albee, born February 1, 1822; died Dec. 26, 1898. 
Cornelius Metcalf, born September 30, 1837; d. Jan. 28, 1899. 
William Jones, born March 11, 1817; died February 10, 1899. 
Mrs. Sarah W. Cass, born May 4, 18 19; died March 6, 1899. 
Oscar T. Graves, born April 3, 1884; died March 14, 1899. 
Arnold Stone, born May 25, 182 1 ; died June 6, 1900. 
Dr. John Albee, born February 14, 1827; died October 3, 1900. 
Mrs. Eliza Albee, born August 8, 1812; died June II, 1901. 
Mrs. Mary N. Lager, born January 18, 1873; d. Sept. 13, 1901. 
Mrs. Elizabeth Metcalf, born April 3, 1841; died Oct. 13, 1903. 
Elisha Cook, born 181 5; died 1904. 

Horace Arnold, born April 8, 1833; died August 21, 1904. 
Charles F. Wright, born October 7, 1831; died January 6, 1907. 
Mrs. Sarah Albee, born August 8, 1825; died August 21, 1 909. 
Frederick Hanson, died March 31, 1911. 
Henry Deters, died April 4, 191 1. 
Mrs. Sarah Lapham, born May 28, 1834; died April 24, 1911, 

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